ITHACA, N.Y. – With preseason preparations complete, the Ithaca College men's soccer team is set to open the 2024 season on the road against Eastern University in St. Davids, Pa., on Saturday at 2 p.m. Under the direction of fifth-year head coach Garret Eldridge, the Bombers were Liberty League runners-up last season, finishing with an 8-6-4 record. They have even bigger aspirations for the upcoming campaign.
 
"We're extremely focused on going 1-0 on the day," said Eldridge. "We feel like we have a talented group, but ultimately our success will come down to our daily effort. We have a tough schedule, and we can't be caught looking past any opponents."
 
Ithaca will open its season with three straight non-conference road matches, starting with Eastern, followed by Wilkes University on Monday, September 3, and Alfred State College on September 7. The Bombers will then make their home debut on September 10 when they host SUNY Brockport, before returning to the road to face Fredonia on September 14.
 
Ithaca will host nationally ranked No. 13 Cortland for a 4 p.m. match on Carp Wood Field on September 18, followed by its first conference game at Hobart College on September 24. They'll remain on the road at Bard four days later and will play at home against Hamilton College on October 1. A big-time matchup will take place on October 5 at St. Lawrence University, followed by six straight home matches against Misericordia (October 9), Clarkson (October 12), Union College (October 18), Skidmore (October 19), Vassar (October 26), and RIT (October 30). The final regular season matchup will be on the road at RPI on Saturday, November 2.
 
"The preseason has been short and intense," remarked Eldridge. "The addition of a third scrimmage allowed us to take a really good look at all of our players and allowed our newcomers to get acclimated to our tactics. It also gave us a chance to try different formations and combinations of players on the field."
 
The Bombers return their top goal scorers from the 2023 season, Landon Hellwig and Jared Krasnove, who each scored three goals. They, along with Gustav Bauerle, Connor Tierney, Ikey Borden, and Drew Warren, are expected to provide the scoring punch in the offensive attack.
 
"Every person on our team plays a role in our success," said Eldridge. "Obviously, Connor is a guy that a lot of teams game plan for as he is an All-Conference player and has the ability to be a real gamechanger. However, from what I have seen from this group, the thing that will hopefully separate us is our depth of high-level players competing daily at training. The old saying is iron sharpens iron, there is very little drop-off throughout our roster."
 
The 2024 roster features 29 student-athletes, including 11 newcomers, among them transfers Riley Donelan, Bryson Shaull, and Myles Ryan. Each brings prior collegiate playing experience, with Shaull expected to compete with returning goalkeeper Johannes Berghahn, and Myles Ryan having started 17 of 19 matches at Franklin & Marshall.
 
After totaling seven shutouts last season, the defensive backline is expected to be solid once again with returning starter Jack Walker and 2022 starter Jack Longo, who was out last year after suffering an injury in preseason. He, along with Nick Dignazio, who started six games during his first year on campus, are expected to push the ball up the pitch from the fullback positions.
 
The first-year class also brings an exciting mix of talent and energy, with midfielder Joshua Bourdoulous, Kyle Sredniawski, Braden Delgado, Emmett Enriquez, Myles McKenna, Parker Giles, and Paddy Eagan all joining the fold.
 
"The first-years have done well to integrate into our group," added Eldridge. "Both on the field and within the culture, they have picked up on what we expect and are pushing for time on the field."
 
The season opener is at 2 p.m. Saturday at Eastern University, followed by a match at Wilkes on September 3. The home opener is on September 10 against Brockport, and the Liberty League opener is on the road at Hobart College on September 24.