CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College men's soccer team will kick off their 2017 season by hosting two matches at home. The Choctaws will face off against Nova Southeastern at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 31, and will play Barry University on Saturday, Sept. 2 at 3:30 p.m.
 
The Choctaws look to build on a 2016 season that saw them take home the regular-season GSC Championship. The Choctaws posted a record of 10-4-2 overall, with a mark of 7-1-1 against GSC opponents. The Choctaws rode a season-high eight-game winning streak to help capture the regular season conference title, and secure the rights to host the 2016 GSC Postseason Tournament.
 
The 2017 squad will return with 21 players from the 2016 roster, highlighted by a senior class that features 12 seniors. Bastian Busch, Jacob Farthing, Horacio Gutierrez Jr., Maurizio Infante, Derek Marshall, Andrew Moore, Julio Moreno, Humberto Pelaez, Elliot Rimmer, Morgan Roberson, Chase Tibbetts and Dinho Zwane make up the 2017 senior class.
 
"We'll have 12 seniors this year, so it will be a senior-laden team," Johns said. "Our guys have a lot of experience. There is a lot returning that gives you some experience. Having that success that we had last year helps, as far as teaching our kids what they should expect our program to be like. Newcomers can feed off of that. What we already have with what we've added will be a good mix.  Having those guys back that were so successful and important to our success last year, will go a long way towards the success of the program this year.
 
NEWCOMERS
There will be 19 newcomers vying for playing time on the 2017 team, with four collegiate transfers and 15 incoming freshman. Rafael Costa, Maurizio Infante, Michael Kuwornu and Wanner Paiz make up for the collegiate transfers; while Fields Barnett, Victor Bazan, Cole Calhoon, Cade Carpenter, Vance Dewberry, Erik-Dominique Dismuke, Paul Downey, Andrew Elkins, Grant Falla, Brent Hall, Grant Hudson, Bradley Lewis, Oliver Oyss, Abel Perez, and Joao Titton make up the freshman class.
 
"I think that there are quite a few guys that can help us immediately," Johns said. "There are a few voids that need to be filled with players from last year's team, but we've had some guys that have had some very impressive showings so far in fall practice. I think that are many guys that we have coming in that can help out our program and give us that extra push to get us where we want to be from a team-success standpoint. "

FORWARDS
At the forward position, Bazan and Marco Profumo have seen lots of preseason action early. Dominic Snee Joshua Robinson and Chase Tibbetts, all returners from the 2016 squad, have also seen preseason reps at the position.
 
"As long as we can score, we will be alright with what we bring to the table defensively," Johns said. "We had several guys last year that saw limited time at this position, due to injury and other reasons, that we think will step up and prove to be major difference makers. We've also brought in a few guys at this position that can do a lot of things very well for us. This is a very important position for our team, because we've got to make sure that we can score."

MIDFIELDERS
The Choctaws bring lots of both depth and experience to their midfield, at both the wings and the center mids; positions that Johns holds to a very high standard. The Choctaws return 2016 All-GSC First Team selection Jacob Farthing, and GSC All-Preseason Team Horacio Gutierrez Jr. headline the position for the Choctaws. Farthing (6) and Gutierrez Jr. (4) accounted for 10 of MC goals in 2017, and will be key featured pieces in the MC midfield. Javier Avelar, Dudley Pearn, Busch, Moreno, Roberson, and Zwane all saw action in the midfield during the 2016 season. Barnett, Calhoon, Laith Dahhan, Downey, Falla, Hall, Infante, Paiz and Perez will also compete for playing time at the position.
 
"The center of the field is the backbone of any team; and fortunately for us, that's probably our deepest position that we have on our roster," Johns said. We have anywhere from 5-7 guys that can play in that center-mid role. On the right wing, we have quite a few guys that can play that role. That's probably the one position that is not massively up for grabs. We've got about 3-4 guys older guys that are going for that position. We'll have to determine who plays their most early on in the year by whoever has the best preseason."

DEFENDERS
At the defender position, the Choctaws return Rimmer and sophomore Connor Johnson, who both saw significant playing time in 2017. Sophomore Aurele Chemin ,junior Alex Caldwell, and senior Marshall also return to the MC Choctaw team from 2016. Carpenter, Costa, Dismuke, Elkins, Hudson, and Oyss all look to add depth to the position in 2017.
 
"This position is the heart and soul of our team," Johns said.  We've got lots of experience at this position, and it is a position that has helped pave the way four our success last year and other years that we have been successful.  This position will carry us a long way in how our season unfolds. 
 
GOALKEEPERS
In Goal, the Choctaws return reigning GSC Player of the year and All-GSC first-teamer Humberto Pelaez. Pelaez led all GSC keepers in goals against average (0.87), save percentage (0.83) and shutouts (6) in 2016. Junior Hayden Mays saw action in four games for the Choctaws in 2016, and looks to continue to push for playing time in 2017. Newcomers Titton and Lewis both also look to add depth to the position, and vie for playing time.
 
"We've got some good depth at the keeper position this season," Johns said. It's a very solid position for us right now, and even for the next few years with what we've been able to bring in this year. It's not a position that I tend to lose any sleep over, because of the depth that we bring between the posts."
 
Coach Johns has been pleased with what he has seen so far in the 2017 preseason, noting that it will take an entire team effort to replicate last season's success.
 
"We like this team, that's one thing that we've been able to notice in the amount of time that we have been out here practicing," Johns said. "I believe that in order to have a successful program, you have to have a solid team. That's means everyone, not just your starting 11 … We've asked them over the season to commit to the process. The process for us, is to get better, not only as a team, but as individuals. If we individually get better, then the team will get better. I think all of these guys have committed to that. As long as we keep getting better individually, the team will also grow."
 
The Choctaws head into Thursday's action with an overall record of 1-1 all-time against Nova Southeastern, and a mark of 0-1 vs. Barry. In their most recent meetings, the Choctaws knocked off Nova Southeastern 2-0 in 2016, and fell 1-0 to Barry in 2015.
 
Coverage of this weekend's action can be found on Gochoctaws.com. Both live stats and streaming video will be available for both contests.
 

---

Mississippi College is a private Christian university located in Clinton, Mississippi with an enrollment of over 5,000 students. MC is recently finished their transition process back to NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference and will be competing for conference and national championships in the 2016-17 academic year.
 
The athletic department sponsors 17 intercollegiate athletic programs: Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Football, Golf, Men's and Women's Soccer, Softball, Men's and Women's Tennis, Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field, Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field and Volleyball.
 
For more information on Mississippi College athletics, please contact David Nichols at 601-925-3234 or nichols@mc.edu.