After the cancellation of the 2020 season, the Roger Williams University Men's Soccer team returns to action with a deep, yet unexperienced squad full of excitement. Like with most teams, not a lot is known about the 2021 Hawks with more than two-thirds of the roster having never played in a collegiate game, but the championship expectations remain consistent.
 
"We could not be more excited to be playing in an actual college season after a year off due to COVID," Head Coach James Greenslit said. "We have a lot to prove to ourselves and everyone else in the Commonwealth Coast Conference. Our players are committed and excited to get to work and prove what we can accomplish as a team."
 
The last time we saw the Men's Soccer squad, they were completing their third consecutive winning season finishing 8-6-5 and making the CCC Tournament for the fifth consecutive season with Greenslit at the helm.
 
While lacking a clear picture of how he will set his lineup, Greenslit does believe the squad boasts a tremendous amount of depth.
 
"Looking at our roster on paper, we have a lot of depth in every position," Greenslit said. "It is going to be fascinating to watch as players battle it out for starting positions and playing time.  Our players know that nothing is given, and everything will be earned through their work-rate, fitness level, attitude, and ability on the field.  It will be a fun group to watch compete throughout pre-season."
 
Offense
As a team in 2019, Roger Williams ranked sixth in the CCC scoring 1.53 goals per game.
 
Despite all the fresh faces, the Hawks do return some quality scoring punch from that squad as two of their top three-point scorers from that season remain on the roster including junior Javi Beltran. The facilitator finished the season tied for the team lead in points with 11 on two goals and seven assists, the fourth most in the conference.
 
Also returning are seniors Tyler Andrade and Jack Wetzel who figure to be a key pieces of the Hawks offensive attack. Andrade was tied for third on the 2019 squad with six points on a trio of goals while Wetzel finished tied for fourth on the team with a pair of scores. 
 
A trio of newcomers in the midfield could also help play a role offensively. Freshman Jack Wildermann along with sophomores John McCarthy and CJ Sousa could all play a factor on both sides of the ball for RWU.
 
Defense
Over the past three seasons, a staple of a good James Greenslit-led team has been a strong defense as the Hawks have ranked in the top four in the conference in goals-against average each year since 2017. In 2019, Roger Williams ranked fourth in the conference allowing 1.21 goals per game, marking the third consecutive season that they have finished the season with a goals-against average below 1.25.
 
A big reason for their success defensively has been the team's ability to limit their opponents good scoring opportunities. Over the past three years, teams have only managed a .418 shot on goal percentage and .076 shooting percentage against the Hawks.
 
With only one returning defensive back on the roster, junior Devon Bento, RWU will turn to its youth and midfielders to provide defensive support. As a freshman in 2019, Bento appeared in 15 of the Hawks 19 games including 10 starts. Senior midfielder Austin Hilger also figures to play a role as a more defensive-minded midfielder.
 
Goalkeeping
The Hawks enter the season with some uncertainty in net. Of the three goalkeepers on the Hawks roster, only one has collegiate game experience in junior John Padavano. As a freshman in 2019, Padavano appeared in two games and made a pair of saves in 20:04 minutes of game action. He figures to face some stiff competition from sophomore Jack Avellar and freshman Hogan Cain.
 
Avellar comes in looking to make his mark after earning All-New England honors in net as a senior back in 2019 with Nauset Regional High School. Meanwhile Cain was also a high school standout as he was named first team all-state in New Hampshire this past spring.
 
2021 CCC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll

	Team	Points (First Place Votes)
1.	Endicott	95 (5)
2.	Salve Regina	93 (5)
3.	Gordon	68
T-4.	Wentworth	61
T-4.	Western New England	61
6.	Roger Williams	60
7.	Nichols	43
8.	Suffolk	32
9.	University of New England	21
10.	Curry	16

 
Overall
Despite the uncertainty and unknowns from a roster standpoint, the Hawks are excited to return to action and look to compete for their seventh CCC Championship this season.
 
"I am very excited for our upper classmen that they will be able to put the uniform on and compete again in an actual season," Greenslit said. "We have a strong schedule in and out of conference, so we need to come out of pre-season prepared for some tough competition."
 
Roger Williams will return to the pitch on the road with four consecutive games away from Bristol beginning at Emerson on September 1^st. The team will finally return to Bayside Field on September 12^th with a showdown against Clark with kickoff set for 1:00 PM.