After reaching the United East postseason playoffs last season for the first time since 2018, Pennsylvania College of Technology men’s soccer coach Tyler Mensch is hopeful of more.

Penn College opens its season at 2 p.m. on Friday at Centenary University.

“Our preseason has started off strong as we had four days of a traditional preseason where we could practice twice a day. It’s the most preseason days I’ve had during my tenure at Penn College,” Mensch said.

“Having a somewhat normal preseason has allowed the guys to become more cohesive and get to really know each other. In years past, last year, for example, our first practice was the first day of class, which can be a challenge as the guys are not able to hang out after practice and create those strong bonds that happen when your focus is fully on soccer with no other distractions. From a camaraderie standpoint, I’d say this is one of the closest groups I’ve had to start a season, and the play has shown as they all trust each other more than years past,” the ninth-year coach said.

Key returning players from last season’s team that finished 7-7-3 overall and 2-4-1 in all UE matches are seniors Tommy DeGeyter of Long Valley, New Jersey, a two-time UE second team defender, and goalkeeper Cole Catherman of Selinsgrove.

“DeGeyter will help anchor our back line. Tommy is a very strong one-on-one defender and someone who we can rely on to make a big play in the defending third of the field. Cole is a standout whose athleticism helps him make saves that your average goalkeeper cannot make. Cole will be relied upon to make big saves for us this fall in net,” Mensch said.

Two freshmen that Mensch expects will make an impact are forward Robert Antonini of Schuylkill Haven and forward/wing/center midfielder Scott Goldfeder of Mechanicsburg.

“Robert was a Schuylkill League co-MVP and Pennsylvania All-State player out of Blue Mountain High School. He is a big, strong and fast forward who is dynamic in front of goal. If he stays healthy, he is going to have a big year for us right out of the gate,” Mensch said.

“Scott is a pacey and shifty attacking player who has a very high soccer IQ. Scott finds gaps in between the lines of defenders and has a quick change of pace that helps him beat defenders in the final third of the field. He was a District III Mid-Penn first-team player last year from Cedar Cliff High School,” Mensch said.

“A week into the season, I have been pleased with the level of play as we have brought in 14 new players who have hit the ground running and really been impressive. The 12 freshmen and two transfer students have pushed our returners and have created a lot of competition at a multitude of positions. If guys stay healthy, we are going to have a lot of depth and choices to make with lineups and how we want to play,” Mensch said.

The coach continued, “Early on, our attacking guys have been a lot more dynamic in one-on-one situations than years past. There seems to be a lot more confidence in the final third of play and guys are doing a really good job of finishing chances they’ve created in practice. 

“I think a big team strength this fall will be our depth. In years past, we haven’t had a large bench, which significantly dropped our level of play from the first team to reserves. Based on early observations, we have a lot of guys that can play and play a lot of different positions. Our goal is for our level of play to not drop off after making subs and I feel like we are heading in that direction with guys who will maintain or even raise the level of play when called upon.

“I think our one-on-one defending as a team can be better. Our attacking guys are much improved, and I think it is taking just a bit longer for the defenders to catch up. As they continue to battle and win one-on-one situations, I have no doubt their level will rise, and hopefully, we can keep our opponents at under a goal per game this season.

“As it is every year, we have to stay healthy. We already lost a returning attacking player to injury from the summer, which will put us back some in the attack, but hopefully, we won’t have any other significant injuries to guys we feel will make a big impact on the season. We have a fairly strong nonconference schedule that I believe will prepare us for our eight United East Conference matches.

“Every year, our goal is to make the United East tournament. From there, anything can happen. As a team, we want to finish with a .500-plus overall record and hopefully host a UEC playoff match. Our program has yet to host a playoff match since becoming a Division III member in 2014.”

The Wildcats will face seven UE foes during the regular season, with four of them first-time opponents from the former Colonial States Athletic Conference, which joined the United East last season.

The top 12 of 16 UE teams will participate in the single-elimination postseason playoffs Oct. 30-Nov. 9. Last year, St. Mary’s (Md.) College and Rosemont College won divisional titles and St. Mary’s captured the overall championship.

Record/Schedule/Series History

Overall: 0-0

UE: 0-0

Friday, Aug. 30 — at Centenary University, 2 p.m. (first-time opponent)

Sunday, Sept. 1 — at King’s College, noon (King’s leads 8-0)

Saturday, Sept. 7 — host Keuka College, 1 p.m. (Keuka leads 5-2-3)

OTHER FALL OPENERS

Friday, Aug. 30

Women’s volleyball at Lycoming College, 4 p.m.

Women’s soccer at Penn State Altoona, 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 3

Men’s/women’s cross-country host Lycoming College, 3:30 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 6

Men’s tennis at Lycoming College, 4 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 7

Women’s tennis at King’s Invitational Day One, 9 a.m.

Monday, Sept. 9

Men’s golf at Albright College Fall Invitational at Olde Homestead Golf Club, 10:30 a.m.

For additional information, visit the Wildcats Athletics website.

For more about the United East, visit the conference website.