Syracuse headlines preseason for Raiders

The men's soccer team is set to face off against Syracuse University on August 20 at 7 p.m. at Roberts Wesleyan in a preseason exhibition game. Syracuse is a member of the Big East Conference and is coming off of a 4-8-5 campaign in 2003.

The Raiders return the majority of the team that went 11-10-2 last season. In addition, they have added some key recruits to the mix in the off season including Dennis Idrissa, Africa; Mark Howlett, England; Kurtis Dawley, New York and Jesse Johnson, New York. Coach Greg Gidman is excited to have a team of the caliber of Syracuse to test his squad as they prepare for the season. "Syracuse University is a quality program that competes at the highest level day in and day out," Gidman say. "While they provide a stiff test for us early in the year, they also provide us with a measuring stick for where we are as we prepare for the season."

This will be the two teams' second meeting, completing a reciprocal agreement between the two schools. In last year's contest, Syracuse came out on top in the exhibition. For information contact Sports Information Director Mike Freace at 594-6855.