The 2015 Grace College men’s soccer program. (Photo provided by the Grace College Sports Information Department)

WINONA LAKE – Grace College’s men’s soccer team will kick off its 50th season of competition on Tuesday at Miller Athletic Complex.

While the Lancers are replacing eight graduated seniors from last year’s 9-7-2 team, the 2015 squad is brimming with young, exciting new talent.

Eighth-year head coach Matt Hotchkin has led Grace to the NCCAA National Championships twice in the past four seasons. While he admits the Lancers will be young this fall, he maintains the talent is there to make a run in the Crossroads League.

“This will be an exciting year, but it will have its share of challenges,” Hotchkin said. “I think our overall mobility is better than last year. We have more speed and better fitness on the team. The key will be to see if that translates to better soccer.”

Over half of Grace’s roster is comprised of new faces (12 of 23), but the returning players have a strong level of playing experience and poise. Senior captains Kyle Hamlin and Justin Festa headline the returners.

Hamlin has racked up 19 goals and five assists in his career so far and hopes to cap off his playing days in style. After working tirelessly in the offseason, Hamlin is now “a more complete player than he’s ever been,” according to Hotchkin. “He’s faster and stronger than he’s ever been; this could be a really good year for him.”

Festa was an All-Crossroads League defender in 2013 and helped the Lancers to six shutouts last fall. The athletic center back anchors a robust defensive line. Also returning with Festa are seniors Nakilee Weni, Dylan Andersen and junior Jonathan Sands. Festa and Weni form “one of the best center back tandems in the league,” in Hotchkin’s view. Incoming freshman defenders Nikola Djordjevic (Serbia) and Josiah Osborn (Argos HS) have impressed Hotchkin already through the preseason.

The midfield unit replaces the graduated steady trio of Trent Smith, Nikola Blazic and Gift Sibukome. Jon Christensen and Hector Torres plan to fill that gap as the most experienced returners. Hotchkin believes the Lancers can take the next step if Christensen and Torres display consistency and mental toughness in the middle.

Newcomers Daniel Smith and Colin Cape have showcased good vision and distribution from the middle, according to Hotchkin, providing a good rotation of players.

The attack will be centered on Hamlin, but freshman Damon Binkley (Argos HS) and senior Dominic Harris figure to be key contributors as well. Harris is a “powerful player who is hard to stop when he’s on,” in Hotchkin’s words, and Binkley is a natural goalscorer. Binkley was an All-State forward from Argos, graduating as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 130 goals.

Hotchkin has helped Miller Athletic Complex become a formidable home atmosphere for visiting teams, and that home environment will be tested early and often in 2015. The Lancers have a sterling 26-6-4 mark at home since 2011, including last year’s undefeated 7-0-2 record. Grace welcomes traditionally tough opponents Indiana Wesleyan, Taylor, Spring Arbor, Bethel and Mt. Vernon Nazarene to its home turf this fall, providing a number of important matches on Grace’s campus.

Grace figures to look vastly different on the pitch this fall, but Hotchkin believes the team can overcome its youth. The key, in his words, is to stick together. “I like the camaraderie of the team and the cohesion so far. We are a young team who hasn’t faced any type of adversity yet, so we will have to learn how to respond to both adversity and success. If we stick together, we could surprise some people this year.”

The Lancers’ first match is on Tuesday at 8 p.m. against Mid-America Christian. Grace will have an exhibition this Saturday 6 p.m. to unofficially start the year.