2024 Austin College Men's Soccer Season Preview

Last season, the Austin College men's soccer team made a jump from three wins in 2022 to seven wins in head coach Taylor Goyen's second season with the program. The 'Roos wlll be looking to continue that ascent up the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference standings as they open up the 2024 campaign this weekend.

The 'Roos will be led by senior striker Louis Catchpole and junior midfielder Pierce Wear, who were each All-SCAC selections following outstanding performances in 2023. Catchpole had one of the most prolific scoring seasons in recent history for Austin College, finishing second in the league with 14 goals, the most for a 'Roo men's soccer player since 2016. That ability to find the back of the net helped him to second team All-Conference status. Wear earned third team All-SCAC accolades last year, scoring five goals and adding four assists.

Austin College will also be counting on senior midfielder Kyle Nimon, a three-year starter who has been one of the cornerstones of Goyen's program rebuild, as well as junior defender Sam Spencer, who should once again anchor the team's defense. Spencer won't be holding down the defensive third alone, as junior Justin Ajdukovich returns after starting 15 games in his first season with the program, and will be another crucial piece in the team's success this season. Josue Bravo also returns to bolster the defense, after starting all 14 games in which he appeared last year. Sophomore goalkeeper Jayson Baldwin looks to be in line to take over the starting position this year, after appearing in four games with a pair of starts last season while making eight saves with a .727 save percentage.

Goyen's squad returns plenty of starting experience all around the pitch, with Alejandro Beracochea, Max Mundorff, and Leo Renteria all having found themselves in the starting 11 for the majority of the season in 2023. Mundorff finished last year with four assists, while Berocochea had two goals and a pair of helpers and Renteria scored once and added an assist. Joshua Campbell and Pedro Echeverria also return with starting experience, with Campbell starting five games on defense while Echeverria started all four games in which he appeared. Senior Daniel Gomez also returns with plenty of experience, having started 26 games in his first three seasons, and will be once again counted on for his offensive creativity to help put goals on the scoreboard.

This year's team also welcomes a large incoming class with 19 freshmen and multple transfers, many of whom will be expected to compete for playing time early and help contribute to the team's success in the near year. The 'Roos could see multiple new faces find their way into the starting 11 early on as they get ready to open the season on August 30. Austin College gets the season underway on that evening in Colorado Springs, playing a neutral match against Concordia (Minn.) Moorhead, and then wraps up its weekend trip to Colorado on September 1 against Fontbonne.