2015 Schedule | 2015 Roster | Preview Video | Social Media | Follow at Home 

LANCASTER, Pa. – Franklin & Marshall men's soccer enters the season as the nation's No. 12 team, marking the second-consecutive year the Diplomats appeared in the top-15 of the opening poll. Expectations are again lofty for the Centennial Conference (CC) preseason favorites after another historic campaign in 2014, which saw an unbeaten regular-season record and a second straight trip to the NCAA Sweet 16. 

The journey begins again on Tuesday, when F&M opens play, traveling to Lebanon Valley for a 4:30 p.m. matchup. 

To watch the season preview video, click here. 

2015 Diplomats 

A group of 17 returners, which includes five starters, are back to form the core of a new-look 2015 squad, which will need to supplement the loss of perhaps the most most accomplished senior class in head coach Dan Wagner's 13-year tenure, as well as conference and program history. A pair of All-CC members and the Conference Rookie of the Year are set to take the pitch for F&M, along with an incredibly talented 10-member freshmen class expected to add size at key positions and immediately challenge for starting spots. 

Four All-CC players graduated from last year's Sweet 16 team, including a pair of captains on the backline in two-time All-American David Rosenfeld and ECAC South Defensive Player of the Year Chris Scott. Replacing the production of forward's Sam Lane (6 G, 1 A) and Jared Bomba (5 G, 6 A) will also be key to the Diplomats' success in 2015. 

Key Returners 

GK – Trevor Britton – Sr.

M - Devon Malfitano – Sr.

F - Chase TenBrook – Sr.

M - Jeremy Levine – Jr.

D – Ben Wild – Jr.

F - Janse Schermerhorn – So. 

With the loss of Rosenfeld and Scott on defense, the play of returning All-CC First Team goalkeeper Trevor Britton will be crucial. Last year, Britton set a pair of Diplomat single-season marks in net after recording 12 shutouts and 16 wins. He finished the season with the lowest goals against average (0.60) in over 60 years of F&M soccer, and second only to Walt Len's 0.44 GAA in 1952. 

Malfitano, TenBrook and Levine will serve as captains for the upcoming campaign. Malfitano and Levine are once again expected to provide steady play at the midfield position after each started all 21 games a season ago. TenBrook will be looked upon to provide the scoring punch. The senior forward led the team in goals (9) and points (21) through 20 games. 

Reigning CC Rookie of the Year Janse Schermerhorn should also find his name atop the F&M scoring leaders after tallying four goals and 12 points in his first year as a Diplomat. Wild is set to lead the backline with his rare combination of size and technical skills. He appeared in 15 games a season ago, scoring two goals and notching an assist.

To view last season's statistics, click here. 

A Look at the Newcomers

A number of freshmen and a sophomore transfer are expected to fight for starting positions. Midfielder Wyatt Fabian comes to F&M from Division I Lafayette and should immediately vie for a starting position on the backline. Midfielder Alex Bilodeau adds athleticism and strength to an already deep midfield unit and should make an immediate impact in his freshman campaign. Fellow first-year member Ugo Okolie brings elite athletic ability to the forward position, while freshman defender Xavier Salvador looks to compete for time on the backline.

Preseason Polls

The Diplomats enter the season at No. 12 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Preseason Poll. Muhlenberg (No. 15) is the only other CC Institution to make the top-25, while Haverford received votes. F&M is picked as the preseason favorite to win the 2015 CC Championship in a poll of conference coaches, receiving five of the 10 possible first-place votes and 74 total points, seven more than Haverford and Muhlenberg who tied for second. 

The Road Ahead 

Following Tuesday's matchup against LVC, the Diplomats host a home tournament at Tylus Field the opening weekend, facing off against Arcadia on Friday at 7:00 p.m. and Alvernia on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. F&M opens play in the always-challenging CC on Saturday, Sept. 19 to close out a string of six consecutive home games, when Swarthmore heads to Lancaster for a 1:00 p.m. matchup. Key contests on the road against defending CC Champion Muhlenberg (Saturday, Oct. 3) and the conference's preseason No. 2 Haverford (Saturday, Oct. 24) highlight the regular-season schedule. 

A new feature to this year's schedule is the "Add to Calendar" button, which allows fans to sync new events and updates directly in their Google, Exchange, Yahoo, Outlook, ICal and additional calendars.

Look for the icon below, which can be accessed at the top-right of the 2015 men's soccer schedule when viewed on your computer, or bottom-left of all schedules on your mobile device.

Opening Week 

Follow Along (Social Media)

All of your favorite Diplomat athletic teams are available on social media. Follow them on Twitter and Instagram, like them on Facebook and subscribe to the Diplomats YouTube page for frequent highlight videos of games throughout the season. 

All home contests are streamed in HD video, free of charge. Fans can also follow the action through the live stats page, found here.