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TEANECK, N.J. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson men's soccer team kicks off the 2014 season this weekend with a pair of matches against NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago at the VCU Invitational. The Knights will first play the host Rams on Friday evening at 7 p.m. in Richmond, Va., before traveling to Williamsburg, Va. on Sunday, Aug. 31 to meet William & Mary for a 5 p.m. contest to conclude the tournament.

The first victory of the season will give Head Coach Seth Roland his 300th career victory. Entering his 18th season at FDU and 28th season overall, the Knights' bench boss is 299-182-53 (.610) in his career and 179-118-41 (.590) during his time in Teaneck, where he is the program's all-time winningest coach.

FDU played two exhibition contests at University Stadium in the preseason and dropped both matches, with the first coming in a 1-0 loss to Northwestern, who also played in the 2013 NCAA Tournament and is receiving votes in the preseason polls, and to La Salle, 2-1.

Last Season
The Knights battled injuries en route to a 9-8-1 (2-4-1 NEC) mark. FDU won its first four contests, found itself ranked in the Top 25, and compiled a 7-3-1 record after 11 matches before a tough stretch to end the year. The Knights lost a pair of First Team All-Northeast Conference performers in Anders Vest-Hansen (Nykobing, Denmark/Celf) and NEC Defensive Player of the Year Nicholas Walker (Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago/St. Mary's), who signed a one-year contract with FC Dallas of the MLS following his senior season. He was selected with the fifth pick of the third round (43rd overall) in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft and was recently loaned to Bayamón FC of the Puerto Rican Soccer League.

The Knights welcome 14 newcomers to this year's roster and return leading goal scorer and assist man Nico Wright (St. Catherine, Jamaica/Jamaica College), who tallied three goals and five assists as a junior in 2013. FDU will also get a big boost with the return of junior Tchamy Dantse Dantse (Darmstadt, Germany/Gymnasium-Gernsheim), who started the first eight matches of the season a year ago before having his season come to an abrupt end with an injury. The 6-5 center back had scored two goals and dished out an assist while being named NEC and Big Apple Soccer Player of the Week during his first year in a Knight uniform. Overall, the Knights return 12 players who have starting experience, including junior left back Sam Durkot (Centereach, N.Y./Newfield), who started all 18 contests, and senior Martin Lukaschik (Neubrandenburg, Germany/Sportsgymnasium Neubrandenburg), who started 14 of 17 contests while scoring two goals and recording one assist. 

FDU was tabbed to finish second in the NEC this season earlier this month with the release of the annual preseason coaches' poll. The Knights also collected two first-place votes. Central Connecticut was voted as the conference favorite.

VCU
2013 Season: 11-8-2 (5-2-1 Atlantic 10, t-3rd)
When: Friday, Aug. 29 - 7 p.m.
Where: Richmond, Va. (Sports Backers Stadium)
Series History: First Meeting
What You Need To Know: The Rams are gunning for their third consecutive NCAA Tournament berth in 2014 and are considered a top-30 team in the country, as VCU is ranked #27 in both the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Poll and the College Soccer News Preseason Top 30 Poll. Picked to finish third in the Atlantic 10 this year, the Rams had three players selected to the Preseason All-Atlantic 10 Team: Dennis Castillo, Devon Fisher and Kharlton Blemar, with Castillo being voted a preseason All-American. VCU, which received an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament a year ago while finishing the season #30 in the RPI (lost at home to Navy, 3-0, in the first round), will have to replace two-year starting goalkeeper Andrew Wells. The Rams also defeated William & Mary on the road, 3-1, earlier this month in an exhibition match.

William & Mary
2013 Season: 11-5-3 (4-2-1 CAA, t-2nd)
When: Sunday, Aug. 31 - 5 p.m.
Where: Williamsburg, Va. (Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly Field)
Series History: William & Mary leads 3-0-1
Last Meeting: Oct. 13, 2001 - William & Mary 3 FDU 1 (Teaneck, N.J.)
What You Need To Know: The Tribe is coming off an at-large NCAA Tournament berth in 2013, where they fell to George Mason in the first round in penalty kicks, 4-2, after a 2-2 draw. The season would also end with a #19 ranking in the final RPI. William & Mary is switching to a 4-3-3 system in 2014 and returns 20 players from last year's roster, including eight starters. Individually, seniors Marcus Luster, Michael Teiman, Chris Albiston and junior Jackson Eskay received Preseason All-Colonial Athletic Conference honors. The Tribe has been projected to finish third in the conference, which sent three teams to the NCAA Tournament last season, including Drexel, who the Knights defeated 1-0 in last year's season opener and play this year as well. The last time FDU and William & Mary faced each other, the Knights would make a run to the Elite Eight in 2001. The Tribe host East Tennessee State on Friday to begin their year, after losing to VCU and defeating Longwood, 4-1, during the preseason.

Up Next
The Knights return to action on Friday, Sept. 5 when they host Princeton in the 2014 home opener at University Stadium, which now features brand new bleachers and a press box. FDU is slated to kick off at 8 p.m. following the completion of the women's soccer match versus Saint Peter's at 5:30 p.m.