Men's Soccer | 8/31/2015 1:42:00 PM
SAN FRANCISCO– The SF State Gators' men's soccer team will begin their 2015 campaign this weekend as they will host two non-conference matches at Cox Stadium. This Friday, September 4 at 1pm, the Gators will take on the University of Missouri-St. Louis Tritons. Then at 10am this Sunday, September 6, SF State will host the Concordia (Ore.) University Cavaliers.
Humboldt State, also of the CCAA, will also face Missouri-St. Louis and Concordia this Friday and Sunday at Cox Stadium. The Lumberjacks, who went 8-7-2 last season, will take on Concordia on Friday at 3:30pm and Missouri-St. Louis at 12:30pm.
SF State returns 11 letter-winners from last year's team including All-CCAA selections
Sam Merritt and
Max Talbert. Merritt led the Gators with his five goals and four assists while Talbert played a key role in their defense allowing just 0.89 goals a match while posting six shutouts. Those 11 returners will look to blend in with the 18 newcomers that second-year head coach
Matt Barnes brought in this fall.
The Gators went 8-7-3 last season, which was their first winning season in 17 years. The 8 wins were the most since 2005 and the 7 losses were the least since 1992. They finished the season going 3-1-1 with wins conference powerhouses UC San Diego and Sonoma State.
Missouri-St. Louis, out of the Great Lakes Valley Conference, finished the 2014 campaign with a 12-4-2 overall record including an 11-3-1 record in the GLVC. The Tritons, under the direction of head coach Dan King, allowed just 0.87 goals a game last season while posting 8 shutouts. They return four of the top five scorers from last year with junior forward DJ Bendar leading the way with five goals and six assists including two game-winning goals.
This will be the third time that the Gators and Tritons have faced each other with SF State holding a 1-0-1 advantage. SF State defeated Missouri-St. Louis 2-1 in 2014 in San Francisco and tied 0-0 with them in 2011 at a tournament in Hayward. The Tritons won that game through 4-2 in penalty kicks.
Sunday's opponent for the Gators will be Concordia (Ore.). The Cavaliers are a first-year member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. They went 13-5 last season including 12-2 in the Cascade Collegiate Conference. Concordia allowed 1.17 goals a game last season including six shutouts.
Both goalkeepers are back in Mitch McCaw and Arne Niermann. McCaw posted a 1.11 goals against average and five shutouts while Niermann had a 1.34 goals against average with one shutout. Zac Taylor is their leading returning scorer as he had five goals with four assists last season.
After this weekend, the Gators will participate in the Kezar Classic on September 10 and 12 at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco. They will face Dominican at 2pm on Sept. 10 and Academy of Art at 5pm on Sept. 12.
2015 Gator Roster 2015 Gator ScheduleLive Stats for this Weekend-----
Gator Athletics has a proud tradition of competitive success within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The department offers 12 intercollegiate sports programs: Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Men's and Women's Soccer, Softball, Women's Track & Field, Women's Volleyball and Men's Wrestling.
Gator Athletics places great emphasis on academic performance as well as athletic achievement. The program offers student athletes the opportunity to reach their educational goals, as well pursue meaningful athletic accomplishments. For more information, visit SF State Athletics' website, Twitter and Facebook pages.
