Men's Soccer | 08/30/22 | 12:27 PM

HELENA, Mont – The Carroll Men's Soccer team will play their first Regular Season match of the 2022 season on Tuesday in Helena, as they host Providence in a rare non-conference contest.
 
Carroll has been hard at work in preparation for the 2022 season, with the team having reported to campus in early August, and practices starting right away. The Saints enter Thursday's match with a considerable amount of in-game experience this early in the year. Carroll has played several scrimmages against non-traditional foes, including two NCAA schools in Gonzaga, and MSU Billings. 
 
These scrimmages do not reflect on the squad's record, but have afforded Head Coach Doug Mello the opportunity to experiment with his line-up, and get a good look at a roster with an influx of new talent.
 
Carroll will enter the 2022 season with the difficult task of replacing several members of the 2021 team including key contributors: Santiago Morazzani (First-Team All-CCC Midfielder), Nick Lowrimore (Honorable Mention All-CCC Midfielder), and Kaden Connor at Goalkeeper.
 
Easing the sting of those graduate departures, the Saints do return several top play makers who look to continue to impact each game this season. 
 
Forward Rory Bloy (Johannesburg, South Africa / SR), a First-Team All-CCC player last year will likely be the focal point of the Saints attack. Bloy is chasing down the program's all-time goals record, and will have a great opportunity to etch his name in the Carroll history books.
 
Carroll also returns Defender Luke Rosenberger (Eau Claire, Wisc. / JR) an Honorable Mention All-CCC performer in 21. Rosenberger was the first Saint to find his name in the goals scored section this season, after a perfectly placed ball from near midfield found the back of the net in Carroll's lone exhibition contest against Lethbridge.
 
In addition to Bloy and Rosenberger, Carroll retains a large veteran presence, with a seven-man senior class that includes the likes of David Macy (Vincenza, Italy), Jack Bentson (Bozeman, Mont.), Birgir Gauti Steffansson (Gardabear, Iceland), Jeronimo Lago Huerta (Buenos Aires, Argentina), Javier Rodriguez (Madrid, Spain), Robin Erickson (Polson, Mont.), and Keegan Lyons (Encinitas, Calif.). Strong production from this group will likely be a deciding factor in the team's overall record.
 
Joining those two key returners will be 14 new faces to the Carroll Men's program, comprised of mainly Freshman, and several transfers. Team chemistry is not something automatic, and the Saints are happy to have benefited from the early scrimmages to adapt to new play styles.
 
Several newcomers look to make an immediate impact, including Goalkeeper Mathias Gravesen (Copenhagen, Denmark / FR). Gravesen's initial impact will be seen from a distance, coming in at a height of 6-4. Size in the net will certainly be helpful for Gravesen as he looks to be a stalwart on the back end for Carroll.
Another new addition of note is transfer Roi Kedar (Binyamina, Israel / Indian Hills CC / JR). Kedar joins the Saints with collegiate experience, having started nine games for his previous school. He will step in and help out an already deep defensive unit.
 
"We have depth in our squad that I don't think we have had for a while." said Head Soccer Coach Doug "We can put any combo of players out there and be good, and are very excited with where we are at. Our fitness level having played five matches is excellent, and we are excited to get to work." 
 
Carroll will kick off their regular season tonight in a non-conference match with CCC foe Providence. The game will be streamed live HERE, and live stats will also be available for tonight's game as well.
 
Visit carrollathletics.com tonight for a recap of the action.