Men's Soccer | 08/31/24 | 11:16 AM

HELENA, Mont. - The Carroll College Men's Soccer team will officially open their season this afternoon with a 2 p.m. game against Whitworth (Wash.) at Nelson Stadium.

The Fighting Saints surprised many in the 2023 season (8-4-4). Carroll far exceeded the expectations of many around the conference after being selected to finish No. 11 in the conference's preseason coaches' poll, but proved all of them wrong with a strong showing in the regular season that saw them finish with the fourth best record in the CCC.

Head Coach Austin Shick did a tremendous job with the club in his first season at the helm, earning co-CCC Coach of the Year honors.

Now, expectations are at an all-time high around the program.

A trio of All-CCC performers return to the pitch for the Saints in '24. 
Caleb Hoxie (Helena, Mont. / GR) - First Team All-Conference midfielder. Hoxie, the captain of the 2023 Saints, was a field general for Carroll en route to their first postseason appearance since 2018. Hoxie totaled three goals on the season, and controlled the midfield with a physical presence throughout the year. T

Michal Mojzis (Bratislava, Slovakia / SR) - Second Team All-Conference midfielder. Mojzis, a transfer from Yavapai College, was another outstanding midfielder on the 2023 Saints. A little more of an offensive threat than Hoxie, Mojzis scored three times while assisting on three other goals to finish with nine points on the year, including three game-winning goals.

Juan Muniz Navarette (Hermiston, Ore. / JR) - Second Team All-Conference goalkeeper. Muniz Navarette was another transfer addition for the Saints who was outstanding between the pipes in 2023. In 13 games, Muniz Navarette finished with a .89 goals against average and .678 save percentage to go along with six shutout victories.

The three '23 All-CCC honorees are joined by an explosive cast of playmakers who are ready to win, and win in bunches.

Felix Billard (Mallorco, Spain / SO) had a great pre-season, and appears primed for a big points year. Sam Laughton (Hull, England / SO), a team captain for the season, provides a level of physicality and composure that commands respect from all on the pitch.

While the Saints will miss their top goal scorer from a season ago (Enrico Paparelli - medical redshirt), they should contend for the league crown come November.

They'll have their first opportunity of the year to post a "W" in the win column this afternoon as they welcome the Pirates of Whitworth (NCAA Division III) to the newly renovated Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium.

First touch is scheduled for 2 p.m. and live stats can be followed along HERE.

All Carroll Soccer home matches this season will be available to stream free of charge on the VEO Live App. Users simply need to download VEO Live, create a free account, and search "Carroll College Soccer".

Visit www.carrollathletics.com this evening for a recap of the action, and to stay up to date with everything going on in Carroll Athletics.

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