KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - The Truman State University men's soccer program sported a roster of 31 student-athletes for the fall of 2017. Fast forward to the first game week of 2018 and 14 of those players are gone while the 17 returners have been joined by 10 true freshmen. Those 27 Bulldogs will be led by head coach, Duke Cochran (14th season), the fifth-longest tenured leader in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) and one of six with at least 10 years at their current school.

Before we get to the position-by-position breakdown, we'll start with the schedule. The 2018 slate features a total of 16 matches including 15 within the Midwest region, 13 against GLVC foes, nine away from home, and seven at the friendly confines in Kirksville. The Purple and White's sixth season as a member of the GLVC will get underway on Friday at Lindenwood (7:30 p.m.) before the home opener on Sunday vs. Purdue Northwest (12 p.m.). The Lions finished last fall with a record of 10-7 (5-3 MIAA) while the Pride went 4-9-3 (3-7-2 GLIAC).

Attackers (9) - two seniors, two juniors, two sophomores, and three freshmen
Matt Yankowitz (Jr.): Hard-working forward that has very good vision and a nose for the goal.
Trevor Kaufmann (Sr.): Great speed to get in behind and good finisher.
Ian McCluskey (So.): Relentless winger that has great ability on both sides of the ball.
Jeff Masters (So.): Very athletic, unpredictable forward that is able to create something out of nothing.
Sean Appelbaum (Jr.): Strong, fast and always has the ability to get a shot or cross off.
Ben Rosenblatt (Sr.): Strong fitness combined with great service, Ben is able to get up and down the flank.
Collin McDonough (Fr.): Good pace and ability on the ball; always dangerous in and around goal.
Thomas Bean (Fr.): Strong, fast and physical target forward that likes to get in behind.
Mac Knudsen (Fr.): Creative attacker that could also play in the midfield.

- Yankowitz and Kaufmann will be the two players to watch for this position group. The two combined for eight of the team's 18 goals in 2017 and have combined for 19 scores so far in their careers. McCluskey and Masters both showed promise for their first season on the field in 2017 and each was able to notch the first goal of his time in the Purple and White. Also returning for this position will be Appelbaum (career high 402 minutes played in 2017) and Rosenblatt (redshirted in 2017).

Midfielders (8) - two seniors, two juniors and four freshmen
Jake Koenig (Jr.): Creative midfielder with good passing and vision to unlock the other team.
Tristyn Hasmer (Sr.): Tough, quick and fit central mid that can play 18-18 and control the tempo.
Ryan Stites (Fr.): Very technical central mid that plays both sides of the ball.
Michael Ruzicka (Sr.): Smart, technical midfielder with the ability to score from distance.
Danny Alter (Jr.): Athletic and physical mid that has the ability to break up play.
Max Sengl (Fr.): Technical and quick; very good in keeping possession.
Michael Lonnberg (Fr.): Very fit possession midfielder.
Andrew Brennan (Fr.): Composed midfielder that also has the ability to play as an outside back.

- Ruzicka made the first 15 starts of his career as a junior in 2017 and appeared in every one of the team's 17 games. In those 17 matches, Ruzicka also notched the first two goals of his career and will headline the midfielder group with Koenig, who found the back of the net for the first time as a sophomore. Also back for this position group are Hasmer (47 career games played) and Alter.

Defenders (8) - two juniors, three sophomores and three freshmen
Mateo Montano (Jr.): Smart, technical center back that helps organize; can play out and very good in the tackle.
Zach Vahlkamp (So.): No-nonsense defender that is very good in one-on-one situations.
Austin Morgan (Jr.): Vocal outside back that is good in possession and reads the play well defensively.
Adam Wittenauer (So.): Outside left back with good technique and fitness.
Colin Smith (So.): Big and strong outside back that can get up and back to join the attack.
Will Clayton (Fr.): Tough defender that likes to get stuck in; can play anywhere in the back.
Zach Nay (Fr.): Physical center back that always gets stuck in.
Dom DeProspero (Fr.): Has ability at any spot along the back with the ability to play in the midfield.

- In a season that lasted just 119 minutes and two matches played, Montano made the most of that time with three goals, which were good for second on the team. His first full season in the Purple and White figures to be an exciting one. Also back for the defenders are fellow junior, Morgan, as well as sophomores Vahlkamp, Wittenauer and Smith. This group of eight will look to step it up and help two young keepers lock down that side of the field.

Keepers (2) - one sophomore and one freshman
Jacob Gunn (So.): Strong in the air and good shot stopper; really starting to command his box.
Roy Hart (Fr.): Technically sound and a good shot stopper.

- As is the case with any season, this position will be the X-factor for Truman in 2018. Gunn figures to be the starter after one game played and just over 64 minutes in the net as a true freshman in 2017. When Friday's season opener begins, Gunn will be the first non junior or senior to start a season opener since 2015 when Drew Orf did so as a rookie.

*Player profiles provided by coach Cochran.

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