AVE MARIA, Fla. --- The Ave Maria University men's soccer team kicks off the 2017-2018 athletic year on Saturday afternoon, as the Gyrenes host conference rival Warner University at AMU Soccer Field at noon. Despite the game not counting in The Sun Conference standings, it will prove to be a good early test for an experienced group of Gyrenes.

2017's version of the Ave Maria soccer team is led by 2016's leading scorer, Jeff Henkel. In his first year on campus, Henkel scored three goals and added another assist to lead AMU in goals and points. He is joined by returning assist leaders Jose Cruz and Resam Moghimi, who tallied a combined five assists for the Gyrenes a year ago.

All in all, 17 players who stepped on the field a season ago are returning for another season. This group includes goalkeeper Andrea Salomone, who is heading into his third year as AMU's main netminder. Salomone spent 12 games in net during the 2016 season, and worked 57 shutout minutes in a victory over Trinity College.

This experienced group also features eight freshman, who bring a new look to the Gyrene attack. The freshmen class has a local feel to it, as half of the rookies hail from Collier County (two from Ave Maria, and one each from Naples and Immokalee).

Leading the way for the AMU soccer program is second year head coach Eddie Gaven. Gaven, who played professional soccer in the MLS for eleven seasons, will look to propel this group forward to a postseason berth, which would be a first in school history.

Each of the first five games of the season for the Gyrenes are at home at the AMU Soccer Field. The docket features ten home games in total, a schedule that will include the program's first games on the soon-to-be installed artificial turf surface at Gyrene Field.