ITHACA, N.Y. — The men's soccer team will open up the 2016 season at home on Friday evening against Central Connecticut State University. The Big Red, entering its first season under head coach John Smith, is looking to bounce back from a 2015 season that saw it finish with a 4-12-1 record. The game will be streamed live on the Ivy League Digital Network.
 
GAME INFORMATION
GAME #1: Cornell Big Red vs. Central Connecticut State Blue Devils
WHEN: 5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 2, 2016
WHERE: Charles F. Berman Field ­ — Ithaca, N.Y.
2016 RECORDS: Cornell 0-0, Central Connecticut 0-1
LIVE STATS: CornellBigRed.com
VIDEO ($): Ivy League Digital Network

GAME #2: Cornell Big Red at University of Connecticut Huskies
WHEN: 7 p.m., Monday, Sept. 5, 2016
WHERE: Monroe Stadium — Storrs, Conn.
2016 RECORDS: Cornell 0-0-1, Connecticut 2-1-0
LIVE STATS: UConnHuskies.com
VIDEO ($): UConnHuskies.com
 
ABOUT THE BIG RED
Cornell ended the 2015 season with a 4-12-1 record but finished strong, going 3-3 over the last six games. The team will look to open the 2016 season with a win, something the program hasn't done since 2012. … The team returns every player that registered a point last year, including senior midfielder Madison Heck, who led the team with five points. … This year, Cornell has a senior-heavy roster that brings a wealth of experience to the pitch. Eleven players are entering their final seasons in a Big Red uniform and the newcomers to the team – nine freshmen and a transfer from Syracuse – have added depth at every position.
 
ABOUT HEAD COACH JOHN SMITH
Smith comes to East Hill after spending four years at Stanford, two as associate head coach. In 2015, Smith helped lead the Cardinal to its first national title in program history and an 18-2-3 record, the team's most wins since 2002. Smith, who worked primarily with Stanford's strikers, was named NSCAA Far West Region Assistant Coach of the Year in 2014. Prior to his time in Palo Alto, Smith amassed a 62-26-10 record in six seasons as the head coach of Division II power Incarnate Word and spent time as an assistant coach at CSU Bakersfield. Smith is a graduate of Rollins, where he was two-time All-American. He was selected 13^th overall by the Columbus Crew in the 1997 MLS Draft and played for two years in the A-League. He was named the Cornell men's soccer program's 12^th head coach in March 2016.
 
KEEPING IT CLOSE
The Cornell defense has been stingy over the past four seasons. The Big Red played in 11 games last year that were decided by one goal or less, and Cornell was one of two Ivy League teams to not concede more than two goals in a game through both non-league and league play. The only other team to accomplish this feat was 2015 Ivy League champion Dartmouth. Junior captain Eric Nuss will be joined on the backline by seniors Liam Crotty, who was named to the All-Ivy second team in 2015, and Ralph Lee Price IV. Nuss, Price, Crotty and junior Allen Michael Capo were all members of the 2014 team that tied a program record for fewest goals allowed in a season with 11.
 
CAPTAIN'S ARMBANDS
Head coach John Smith has selected senior Zach Bialik and junior Eric Nuss to serve as the Big Red's captains for the 2016 season. Bialik, a midfielder, logged more than 60 minutes on 10 occasions in 2015. Nuss has started on defense in all 32 games over the last two seasons and logged a team-leading 1,450 minutes last season.
 
SENIOR AND FRESHMEN PRESENCE
The 11 members of the Class of 2017 make up a third of this year's 31-player roster and seven of those players have registered at least one career point. There are also nine members of the Class of 2020 on the team this year, making it a top- and bottom-heavy roster. Six juniors and five sophomores round out the squad.
 
INTERNATIONAL APPEAL
Cornell men's soccer is a diverse group, with players hailing from 15 different states and England, as senior JJ Black and freshman George Pedlow both come to the Big Red from England. Six players come from New York while California, Colorado and New Jersey have three representatives each.
 
NEW YEAR, NEW BERMAN
The men's soccer team will be the first Cornell squad to play a game on the newly renovated natural playing surface of Berman Field when it takes on the Blue Devils.
 
ABOUT CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE
The Central Connecticut State, which were chosen fourth in the Northeast Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, opened its season on Monday with a 2-0 loss to Vermont. Junior Ryan Taylor, who last year scored six goals and assisted on three others, and sophomore Louis Beddouri, who notched five goals and an assist in 2015, both return up top for the Blue Devils. Senior Nick Velleca played the majority of the time in net for the CCSU last year and is back for more. Velleca started in 11 games last year, making 50 stops and earning a 1.79 goals against average. The team ended the 2015 season with a 6-9-2 overall record and a 3-4 record in NEC play.
 
THE SERIES WITH CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE
This will be the first meeting between the Blue Devils and the Big Red. Cornell is 6-0-0 all-time against current members of the Northeast Conference.

ABOUT CONNECTICUT
The University of Connecticut Huskies, who were ranked 14th in this week's NSCAA poll, opened the season with two-straight wins (over Iona and Omaha) and then lost to Louisville on Wednesday night. The Huskies recieved goals from three different players in their 3-1 win over Iona and then shutout Omaha 2-0, only to be shutout themselves 2-0 against Louisville. In 2016, UConn returns its leading goal-scorer from a year ago in sophmore Abdou Thiam (11) as well as senior captain Kwame Aquah who was second on the team in points in 2015 with three goals and 12 assists. Scott Levene has returned in net for the Huskies and in three games this year has allowed three goals, made nine saves and earned one shutout. Levene started in goal in all 22 games last year for the Huskies, posting a 0.76 goals against average and a .791 save percetnage to go with seven shutouts.

THE SERIES WITH CONNECTICUT
The only meeting between these two teams came back on Oct. 14, 1995, when the Big Red came out with a 3-2 overtime win in Storrs.
 
UP NEXT
After the tilt with Central Connecticut State, the Big Red will hit the road for its next four games. After heading to the Nutmeg State on Monday to take on Connecticut, the team will then head to the D.C. area the following weekend to play George Mason and American in the Capitol Cup. Cornell then winds up the road trip with a game at Binghamton on Sept. 14 before returning to Berman Field to defend their CU Inaria Cup title against Saint Francis (Pa.) on Sept. 16 and New Hampshire on Sept. 18.