CANTON -- The SUNY Canton men's soccer team will look for its third consecutive season with nine or more wins under third year Head Coach Tim Penrod in 2015.

The Roos got off to a quick start last season going 8-3-1 over their first 12 contests including a six game unbeaten streak.

"The last three to four seasons, this program has been on the cusp of doing something special," Penrod said. "We shouldn't be surprised to be competing with top 25 programs or regionally ranked teams anymore."

The Roos have made a name for themselves over the last few seasons including big wins against Skidmore College, The Sage Colleges and Clarkson University last season as well as losing by just a single goal to nationally-ranked St. Lawrence University. SUNY Canton will look to continue its tremendous progress as they hope to reach double digit wins this season.

"Our staff has been working very hard to challenge our players every time we are on the field to expect excellence, and own it when we miss our mark," Penrod said. "We have a very tough 18 game schedule this year, with 12 of those games away from home. Realistically, hitting 10 wins is very attainable. However, it means not having off days,

winning the games we're supposed to, and creating some of our own luck with tireless work rate."

The Roos bring back a wealth of talented players including their top four scorers that supplied 21 goals and 23 assists a season ago. Nick Escalante (Whittier, CA) led the way in points (37), goals (14) and assists (9). Hunter Mowery (Elizabethtown, NY) posted three goals and six assists, while Devin Gruneisen (Potsdam, NY) chipped in with 9 points (3G-3A-9P) and Tyler Gallagher (Potsdam, NY) added seven (1G-5A-7P).

"Obviously we expect Nick to be big in front of net for us this year, but guys like Hunter and Tyler have worked very hard to be major impact players this season. As co-captain, I think you can expect Jordan Barriere to be a constant presence on the field, someone who will always be calm and composed, no matter what the situation. Jacob Jones has done well as a defender for us to this point, and Erdous Lebron will continue to be one of our hardest working kids on the field."

Coach Penrod welcomes 11 new players to the roster this season and expects some players to make an immediate impact based off early performances in preseason.

"This class has really exceeded our expectations. Their fitness level was quite good at the start, and their ability to connect with returning guys right at the start has been huge. Again, it's tough to pick out one or two that will shine, but I can definitely see Christian Nagabo taking on a significant role in our back line, Tyler Cook working well in the midfield, and Jules Ngadula taking on big responsibilities in the attack."

The Roos will get their season under way with a match-up with Route 11 rival SUNY Potsdam on Tuesday. Kick-off is set for 7 p.m. under the lights. Stay up to date with the latest news directly from the SUNY Canton Athletics department by "liking" us on Facebook and "following" our Twitter, Instagram and YouTube accounts.