2024 Holy Cross men’s soccer season preview

The Holy Cross men’s soccer team heads into the 2024 season looking to be a contender in the Patriot League. The Crusaders bring back eight starters and 21 letterwinners off last year’s team, giving them one of the most experienced squads in the conference. Holy Cross also has an 11-member senior class in place to provide leadership both on and off the field. 

TRIO OF CAPTAINS READY TO GO
The Crusaders have will have three team captains for the 2024 campaign, in senior midfielder Jake Williams, senior defender Connor Badgon and junior midfielder Ethan Gill. Williams will be in his second season as one of the squad’s captains, becoming the 22nd multi-year captain in program history. Over the course of their Holy Cross careers, the three captains have combined for 127 games played, 92 games started and 8,260 minutes played.

OFFENSIVE FIRE POWER
The Crusaders should be strong on the offensive end of the field, with seven of the top eight scorers off last year’s team returning. Leading the way are Gill and senior forward Evan Jones, who tied for the team-lead in scoring in 2023. Both Gill and Jones totaled 13 points on five goals and three assists a year ago. Senior forward Jonathan Klein should also be a key factor, after recording seven points on two goals and three assists last season. In addition, senior midfielder Marcus Williams is back after missing the 2023 campaign due to injury. Williams ranked second on the team in scoring in 2022 with nine points on two goals and five assists.

A STRONG BACK LINE
On the defensive end of the field, Holy Cross returns a number of individuals who played key roles in 2023, when the team allowed 1.67 goals per game with four shutouts. Bagdon, senior defender Nick Hupe, junior defender Julian Beban and sophomore defender Brock Frasier are among the returning players who should see significant action in 2024. They will be backed up by senior goalkeeper Tristan Stephani, who started 17 games last season. Stephani posted a 1.48 goals against average with 49 saves and a .681 save percentage in 2023.

A NEW FACE ON THE SIDELINES
Head coach Matt Brown will be in his first season leading the Crusaders in 2024. The 12th head coach in the history of the program, Brown has coached on the collegiate level for the past eight years, including four seasons as a head coach. Last year, he led Union to an overall record of 8-6-5 and a 5-2-2 mark in the Liberty League, good for the program’s most conference wins in over a decade.

A CHALLENGING SCHEDULE
Holy Cross is set to play 18 regular season games this fall, including nine non-conference opponents and all nine Patriot League foes. The season begins at Sacred Heart on Aug. 22, followed by the home opener against Merrimack on Aug. 27. The non-conference portion of the schedule also includes a home date with reigning NCAA champion Clemson on Sept. 16. Patriot League play opens on Sept. 14 against Lehigh, with the regular season wrapping up against Boston University on Nov. 5. 

FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS 
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