WILMINGTON, Ohio – The Wilmington College men's soccer team opens its 2018 season at Thomas More College on Friday, Aug. 31. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
The Teams: Wilmington and Thomas More. The Fightin' Quakers are coming off an 8-9-2 season in 2017 including a 2-6-1 mark in Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play. The Saints finished last season 14-5-2, claimed the President's Athletic Conference (PAC) Tournament title and qualified for the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Tournament.
The Coaches: Alex Van der Sluijs is in his first year leading Wilmington's men's soccer team. The 2006 alumnus takes over for former and 43-year head coach Bud Lewis. Van der Sluijs, who was a three-time First Team All-OAC selection and a member of the program's only team to win an OAC title in 2004, worked at Defiance College for seven seasons. Adam Jones is also in his first season as head coach of Thomas More. He spent the last three seasons as head coach at Anderson High School.
The Players: Wilmington returns its top two offensive threats from a season ago in Niklas Martensson and Treshaun Pate. Both scored eight goals in 2017 while Martensson, who had his season cut short due to injury, also dished out eight assists. Ethan Smith, Thomas More's top scorer from 2017, returns for his junior season looking to improve upon his six goals and four assists last season.
Series History: Wilmington is 10-3 against Thomas More in the last three decades. The Saints, however, have won the previous three meetings including a 2-1 victory last season. More information on the series history can be viewed by visiting the link above.
Coverage: Live statistics and live video of the game will be available – visit the links above.
Social Media: Follow Wilmington athletics on social media! The Fightin' Quakers have a presence on Facebook (Wilmington College Athletics) as well as Twitter and Instagram (@DubCQuakers).
Up Next: Wilmington returns home for a three-game host stand next week beginning with the University of Cincinnati Clermont at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 4.
