MEN'S SOCCER PREVIEW: Tritons Ready to Build on Last Year's Progress

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The inaugural season for Eckerd men's soccer coach Ian Cameron in 2016 was, as he describes it, a "whirlwind" year.

But now with a full year under his belt, including a spring training season where he could work to more fully implement his system and expectations, Cameron feels that both he and his team are much more prepared heading into the 2017 campaign.

"A lot of our growth has happened off the field in terms of how together the group is and their understanding my expectations of them," he said.  "Last year, we were just trying to get the team ready to win games as quickly as possible and be competitive.  This spring was unbelievably important for the players to get to know me better and, in a more organic process, learn what I'm expecting of them."

There were plenty of bright spots in last year's eight-win campaign, and the team will look to keep those lit while fortifying other areas in an effort to climb in the Sunshine State Conference ranks.

RELATED: Tritons Picked Seventh in SSC Preseason Poll | SSC: Eckerd Preseason Outlook Video

WHO'S BACK (2017 Roster)
* The majority of the team's lineup in the front two-thirds of the field returns including 2016's leading goal-scorer, Juan David Tejada.  Along with Matheus Assumpcao, the duo forms a dangerous threat on the outside of the Triton attack.  Tejada found the net on 11 occasions last season while Assumpcao scored seven goals and recorded nine assists, the latter of which tied the program's record for the most in a season.
* Four-year starter Alex Gott returns in goal, where he has been one of the top keepers in the conference for the past two seasons.  The 2015 SSC Defensive Player of the Year turned back 77 shots last season and ranks fifth in program history in clean sheets.
* After patrolling the center midfield last season, Robert Labus and Westleigh Rush return to the same roles this year.  Labus made an immediate impact upon joining the team, starting 16 matches while contributing six goals and three assists.  Rush, who was named SSC Freshman of the Year in 2015, battled through injuries to play in 15 contests where his energy and ball control in the center of the field was a vital piece of the team's success.
* Anchoring the defense once again will be center back Liam Guest, a two-time all-conference selection.  With the graduation of three starters on the back line, Guest's experience and leadership will be paramount.
* The Tritons also return several players that received significant playing time last season including Gabriel Caetano, T.J. Soehn, Michael Molata, Wyeth Leemon and Bailey O'Shea.  Sophomore Elijah Pratt was part of the starting 11 in EC's exhibition match with South Florida. 
* Eckerd could also receive contributions from Alexandre Coste, Luis Diaz-Pinas Garcia, Robert Carter, Mo Jallow, Francisco Anaya, Francisco Moledo, Charles Trimmer and Cedric Pereira, adding to the team's depth. 

NEW FACES
* The Tritons only brought in four newcomers, but the group could play a major factor in the team's success.
* Sophomore Elliott Williams joins Eckerd after a season at the University of Cincinnati, where he played in 15 matches for the Bearcats.  Along with Labus, the duo could prove to be a formidable combination in the spine of the Tritons.
* Freshmen Niklas Sommerer and Nick Reinauer also come in as heralded international recruits.  Reinauer will compete for time in the defense while Sommerer, who scored 18 goals in 51 appearances in international play, will look to add more punch to the Triton attack.
* Another freshman, Trevor Dilla, comes into a crowded goalkeeper spot with a pair of seniors on the roster.  However, the 6-foot-5 New York native will have the opportunity to learn on the job before competing for the primary keeper role next year.

LOOKING AHEAD (2017 Schedule)
* The Tritons open the year with a pair of region matchups on the road at Young Harris (Ga.) and the University of North Georgia.  Young Harris will provide a good early-season test as the Mountain Lions were picked to win the Peach Belt Conference after claiming last season's tournament title.  Eckerd hosted North Georgia last year and earned a narrow 1-0 victory. 
* EC then returns home for a three-match stand against Florida National, West Alabama and Barry University in the SSC opener.  The Tritons will also welcome Florida Tech, Lynn, Rollins and Florida Southern to Johnson Field for conference contests.

LOOKING BACK (2016 Schedule | 2016 Stats)
* Eckerd went 8-6-3 in Ian Cameron's first season as the head coach.  Once again, the Tritons were strong at home (7-2-1) but struggled on the road. It was most notable in conference play as EC went 0-3-2 away from Johnson Field before knocking off No. 22 Florida Tech in the opening round of the SSC Championships.
* EC went 3-4 against nationally-ranked opponents last season including a 3-0 win over No. 9 Saint Leo in the SSC opener.  It marked the second year in a row for the Tritons to defeat a top-10 team at home.
* The team's win over Florida Tech in the first round of the conference tournament was EC's first in the postseason since 2012.

NOTABLE
* The SSC continues its growth with the official addition of two new members in Palm Beach Atlantic and Embry-Riddle.  Both have been provisional members for the last two years.  PBA, a former Division III school, competed as an independent in D-II before joining the conference.  ERAU, previously an NAIA powerhouse, completed its four-year transition into NCAA and gained full membership this summer.  That brings the total number of teams in the conference to 11, making things even more competitive for a top-six finish and a spot in the conference championships.
* The Tritons played a pair of road exhibitions against high-level NCAA Division I opponents in South Florida and No. 23 Florida Gulf Coast.  Cameron's hope is that these contests help prepare his team for earning better results on the road this season.
* Gott enters his final season ranking fourth in program history in career shutouts with 11.  His 77 saves last year ranked second in the SSC.
* Of Labus's six goals last season, four were game-winning goals.

QUOTABLE
"Everybody in our program wants to get better.  We have enthusiasm and we're willing to learn.  That eagerness for everybody to get better on this journey as a whole group is a strength of ours.  Our team is on a trajectory where we are going to get better and better." - Ian Cameron