Connor Hawkins is one of two senior captains for the 2019 squad.

After a breakout season in 2018, College of Wooster men's soccer coach Andy Zidron will see his first recruiting class enter their final season as the men hope to continue the progression of success they have achieved.

Wooster went 8-6-3 last year and just missed the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament. They won eight games and recorded a winning record for the first time since 2006 and in a highlight win, defeated Denison for the first time since 2007. 

"Last year was a big year for the program in terms of growth," Zidron said. "One of my favorite things was as the year progressed, and we started playing at a high level consistently, one of the players said, 'Coach, what you said was going to happen was happening.' We've stuck to the culture we've developed, and now competitively we're seeing the results of all the hard work we're putting in."

The men are entering uncharted territory with a different set of expectations. How do they handle the expectation of success?

"This is a tough one because we have worked to have this expectation, but we don't want to get caught into a trap," Zidron said. "We need to have a 'win the day' mentality in all that we do and focus on constant improvement on the field, in the classroom and in our relationships.  If we do that, we'll put ourselves in a situation to succeed."

Looking at the NCAC with Kenyon and Ohio Wesleyan favorites at the top, it will be a logjam claiming the next two spots with a possible four teams in contention. The last time Wooster found itself competing in the conference tournament was 2004.

To get there they will need a strong start to the season. The men got off on the right foot in early August with a trip to Europe where they not only played competitively but left with more confidence and solidarity.

"Watching the players interact was the coolest thing for me over there," Zidron said. "Culturally it helped us out, develop some stronger bonds and do something really unique that will hopefully in their lives make an impact moving forward."

The Scots have a competitive non-conference schedule ahead. They open at the University of Mount Union on Aug. 31 and later will travel to the likes of Case Western Reserve University and Calvin University.

The men will then propel themselves into NCAC action with a trip to Wabash College on Sept. 28. Their home opener is Sept. 4 in a non-conference bout against Heidelberg University.

The men lost just three seniors in Ousmane Sy, Alex Montalbano and Andrew Klein. This year's roster includes 11 seniors including top returning scorers Max Rochester and Manny Burton.

Will Collis returns at goalkeeper after collecting 45 saves and four shutouts. Wilson Freije returns to help the midfield.

The four earned All-NCAC accolades last year. Classmate Connor Hawkins joins Collis as this year's captains.

Assistant coach Devyn Spielvogel also returns to help on the sidelines.

"He has a great read on the game and is constantly providing details for how our players can improve," Zidron said. "His care and commitment to the program and the players is invaluable."

For the 11 seniors, they are in an important position to keep the team moving forward in 2019 and beyond.

"They talk about leaving a legacy and leaving the program better than what it was when they came in, and there's no question they've done that," Zidron said. "They want Wooster to grow, and they are proud to be a part of that."