MEN'S SOCCER GAMEDAY: Warner University at Eckerd

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Eckerd Triton men's soccer team will look to start the 2015 campaign off on a positive note as they host Warner (Fla.) University at the Turley Athletic Complex at 7:00 PM.

COVERAGE: Live Stats | Live Video

SETTING THE STAGE
The Tritons aim to take a step forward in head coach Cristian Neagu's second season at the helm.  A large recruiting class has helped add considerable depth to the roster, something that could be a huge strength this season.  Eckerd returns leading scorer Nick Jackson (six goals), goalkeeper Alex Gott (72 saves) and captain Richard Ainscough among several others. The Royals (0-0-1) opened their season on August 28, playing to a 1-1 draw with Florida National University.  Renaldo Brown notched the equalizer in the 84th minute off an assist from Eddy de Abreu.

LAST TIME THEY MET
Despite a combined total of 32 shots, Eckerd and Warner played to a scoreless draw on Sept. 10, 2013, in St. Petersburg.  Eckerd's last win over the Royals came the previous year, a 3-1 decision on Oct. 7.  The Tritons lead the all-time series, 3-1-2.

NEW YEAR, NEW FACES
After starting late in the summer last season, Neagu was able to bring in an impressive haul in his first recruiting class at Eckerd with 13 new players.  Expect to see several of those contributing immediately on the pitch.

FINAL THIRD FINISH
One of the areas Neagu wants to see improvement this year is finishing the attack in the final third.  The Tritons were able to build toward scoring chances last season but had trouble getting off quality shots.  Returning players like Jackson and Ainscough coupled with newcomers like Westleigh Rush and John Badu-Koomson should help accomplish that goal.

GETTING CLOSE
It took some time for the Tritons to adjust to a new head coach last season, but the improvement was evident as the season went on.  Eckerd won two of its final three regular season matches and played strong soccer down the stretch, setting the stage for a better year in 2015.

HIT THE ROAD
After tonight's match, Eckerd will hit the road for its next two matches before returning to the Turley Athletic Complex on September 16.  EC visits Clayton State (Ga.) on Sept. 10 for a 7:30 PM match followed by a 1:00 PM contest at the University of North Georgia on Sept. 12.