The Sacramento State Men?s Soccer team will look to improve upon last year?s successful season when it plays at St. Mary?s College for its season opener Friday.

Last year, the team went 7-10-1, its best record since 1995, when the team went 8-10-1. According to senior goalkeeper Leo Marin, the team expects to improve upon last year?s record.

“We have a good veteran team and a good recruiting class,” Marin said. “It should be a strong season. We will be trying to win more games than last year and finish over .500.”

The Hornets got off to a strong start Saturday, defeating University of California, Davis 1-0 in an exhibition game in Davis. Senior striker Sean Luigs notched the only goal for the Hornets, while Chris Haustein and Leo Marin combined on the shutout. The win is the Hornets second of the young season, having posted a 2-0 win previously over the College of Notre Dame.

With these wins, the Hornets picked up where they left off last season, finishing the 2000 campaign winning three of their final four contests. Michael Linenberger, the Hornets head coach, hopes Sac State will carry that momentum into this season.

“We got some good momentum from last year and we beat some top quality teams,” Linenberger said. “We had a very good spring training and we want to carry it into the season.”

This year?s team will have many returning players, but there will be some new faces on the team as well. The team acquired four local area players: Alexis Maurtua and Marcos Mercado both from Jesuit High School, Rio Americana?s Patrick Nelle, and Vacaville?s Joel Rodriguez.

Along with the freshmen recruits, the Hornets nabbed two promising junior college transfers in Matt Rapier and Sean Kazemi. Kazemi formerly played at Contra Costa Junior College, and Rapier starred at San Joaquin Delta Community College.

“We considered this to be the best recruiting class on paper, and we are pleased with their play on the field so far,” Linenberger said.

Once again, the team will be facing realignment in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. Instead of having two divisions, it will be slimmed down to one, with each team playing each other once. Also, all eight teams will qualify for the conference playoffs. Linenberger likes the arrangement and feels the Hornets can thrive in this format.

“We are fairly healthy going into the season, and we feel we can win or compete for the conference,” he said.

Junior forward Dave Rios believes the new conference format can benefit the team as well.

“It will be a new look,” Rios said. “It will definitely give us a chance to finish in the top of the conference.”

But this year?s team will need to prove itself on the road, because 10 of its 17 games this season will be away from Sac State.

“We?re not real pleased with the schedule,” Linenberger said. “We?re heavy on the road. For sure, it won?t be easy.”

When the team gets to conference play, the schedule will be a little more balanced. The Hornets will have four conference home games, compared to three conference games away.

The Hornets look to continue their winning ways Friday when they play St. Mary?s, before facing California State University, Monterey Bay on Sunday.