After another historic season, the John Carroll men's soccer team is ready to make another run for the Ohio Athletic Conference title.

Last season, the Blue Streaks finished 16-3-2 (7-2-0 OAC), earning a trip to the NCAA Tournament for the third time under head coach Hector Marinaro. JCU also received its highest national ranking (#4) in program history.

The Blue Streaks were fueled by a deep and large senior class last year. The 2018 edition will be much younger by comparison, but not bereft of experience.

"We are in a semi-rebuild mode," said Marinaro. "We are going to be young, but our goal every year in this program is to win an OAC Championship and compete in the national tournament. Nothing about this year's team will change that."

In fact, the Blue Streaks are loaded on the defensive end as seniors Liam McIntosh, Brian Lutz, and Eric Rozsits, along with 2017 OAC Freshman of the Year William Turrittin, gave JCU a strong backline. McIntosh will continue to be looked to as a leader on the Blue Streak roster as he begins his fourth year as the starting keeper. The second-team all-conference goalkeeper did not allow a goal in 10 games, making him the program leader for single-season shutouts. In his previous three seasons with the blue and gold, he has recorded 191 saves.

In 21 games last season, Lutz appeared in 20 of them, while Rozsits – a first team All-OAC selection -- played in all 21. Lutz also recorded one game-winning goal against Denison in the Blue Streaks' season opener.

Other players looking to see a fair amount of field time this season as they did last year include Chad Kanakkanatt, Jared Ianiro, and Mitchell Kotheimer. Role players who could step up into starting roles this year also include the likes of Michael Adelman, Thomas Korsa, Adam Haas, Justin Brown, Stephen Schutt and William Grubbs. The Blue Streaks also welcome back Jarrod McDowell, a starter on the 2016 OAC championship squad.

There is also a promising incoming freshman class that will be competing for playing time.

"I think our depth is at an all-time high," said Marinaro. "We have a good core of returning starters, a number of guys who played significant minutes, and we brought in a  freshman class that could potentially yield some starters. We are really excited to see who is going to step up and contribute."

John Carroll will once again begin its season with matchups against North Coast Athletic Conference and University Athletic Association powerhouses, including Kenyon, Denison, Ohio Wesleyan, Case Western Reserve, and Carnegie Mellon.

"Every date is a key date for us," said Marinaro. "All nine conference matches matter and each one will be a tough challenge.  Right now, we are focused on playing Kenyon, the #20 team in the nation, for our opener, and then we will take them as they come."