George Washington University Athletics
George Washington University
Old Dominion
Men’s Soccer Begins 2024 Campaign vs. Old Dominion Thursday, Saint Peter’s Sunday
8/20/2024 2:27:00 PM | Men's Soccer
WASHINGTON - The George Washington men's soccer team begins its 2024 season with two matches at the George Washington Mount Vernon Sports Complex this week. First, the Revolutionaries will host their season- and home-opening match on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. vs. the Old Dominion Monarchs. GW will then host the Saint Peter's Peacocks on Sunday, also with a 1:00 p.m. kickoff. Both matches this week will be carried live on ESPN+.
BEGINNING OF THE ROAD
This week marks the beginning of the 58th season of GW men's soccer, and the 13th season under the direction of head coach Craig Jones. The Revolutionaries have spent the preseason preparing for a 17-game schedule, which includes eight A-10 fixtures and seven home matches on The Vern. A full breakdown of the 2024 match schedule can be found here.
RETURNING REVOLUTIONARIES
Twenty-two members of the 2023 GW men's soccer team have returned for another season with the Buff & Blue, as they look to bring an established continuity to The Vern in 2024. Among the returning student-athletes are all four goalkeepers and 16 individuals who played 500 or more minutes in 2023. Also back for the upcoming season are three of GW's four top point scorers from 2023: Will Turner (11 points), Ben Hissrich (6 points) and Louis Saville (5 points).
NEW FACES
Six student-athletes have joined the men's soccer program since last season: Pat Altamirano, Louis Crofts, Jaden Dubon, Jake Hobbs, Jake Poole and Finn Roberts. More information about the newest Revolutionaries can be found here.
ABOUT ODU
Old Dominion is coming off a 5-7-5 season, which included a 1-6-1 record in the Sun Belt and a 2-2 tie vs. GW in the 2023 season opener. Old Dominion's longtime head coach, Alan Dawson, left his position after 26 years following the end of last season and was replaced by Tennant McVea who served as Old Dominion's associate head coach for the past seven seasons. ODU was chosen 8th of 10 teams in the 2024 Sun Belt Conference men's soccer preseason coaches' poll.
The Monarchs return their second-, third- and fourth-highest point producers from last season in Karan Mandair, William Arnesen and Michael Eberle. Mandair led ODU in minutes last season and finished the year with five goals, which included one from the penalty spot in the opener vs. GW. Arnesen totaled eight points via three goals and two assists in 2023, while Eberle had seven points on three goals and one assist. Goalkeeper Michael Statham returns for his junior season after playing every minute in net for ODU last year. He has a career 1.31 goals against average and a .769 save percentage.
GW is 1-4-1 all-time against the Monarchs.
SCOUTING SAINT PETER'S
Saint Peter's comes to The Vern on Sunday on the heels of a 2-9-5 season in which they went 1-6-3 in the MAAC. The Peacocks are led by Julian Richens in his 13th season as the head coach of Saint Peter's, and they enter the season after being chosen 10th of 13 teams in the 2024 MAAC men's soccer preseason coaches' poll. The Peacocks will face Villanova away on Thursday before making the trip to Washington, D.C. for Sunday's match.
Daniel Larsson and Conlan Paventi return for another season after being Saint Peter's top point producers in 2023. Larsson, who played every minute of every game last season, scored three goals and added one assist, while Paventi scored three goals of his own. Goalkeeper Pedro Alves returns for his graduate season after playing all 16 games as a transfer last season. In his first season with the Peacocks, Alves totalled a 2.00 goals against average and a .759 save percentage.
GW trails the all-time series vs. Saint Peter's 1-2-0, but the sides have not met since 2014.
