CASTLETON, Vt. - The Castleton men's soccer team is set to begin its 2021 campaign with a non-conference matchup at Russell Sage College on Wednesday, September 1. 

The Spartans will play an 18-game slate, with the home opener falling on Sunday, September 5 when the team hosts Clark University. The team will engage in five non-conference tilts, four of which will be held at Dave Wolk Stadium, before traveling to Southern Maine for the Little East Conference opener on Saturday, September 18. The regular season wraps up on Friday, October 29 when Castleton hosts UMass Boston.

Head Coach John O'Connor, entering his ninth season at the helm, added 10 newcomers to compliment a strong core of returners. The Spartans welcome back 2018 Team MVP Jacob Godfrey, who sat out the 2020-21 season. The Castleton native holds nine goals and 23 points in his three-year career, which marks the highest total of any active player. Godfrey will serve as the lone captain. 

Joining Godfrey will be Jacob Henderson and Ben Stewart, who scored three goals each in 2019. Sophomores Stanley Andersen and Kevan Flanagan also look to contribute offensively - both netted goals as freshmen in the shortened 2020-21 season. Expect those names along with a host of talented freshmen to make major impacts. 

In the goal, Castleton has a couple options in Andres Soto-Burgos and Jonathan Maul. Soto-Burgos saw 130 minutes in the spring and made nine total saves while Maul logged 77 minutes and tallied four saves. 

The Spartans also welcome a new coach for the 2021 season - Rutland native Brendan Bucksbaum. A 2015 graduate of Hamilton College, Bucksbaum joins the staff as a graduate assistant. 

The 2021 squad will look to make the LEC Playoffs for the first time since 2018