ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Oakland men's soccer team kicks off the 2021 season with a Horizon League match against Robert Morris on Thursday, Feb. 4 at the Grizz Dome beginning at 7 p.m.
 
Notes:
 
Season Opening Magic at Robert Morris
Ironically, Oakland opened up the 2019 season at Robert Morris with an impressive offensive explosion in a 5-1 road win. Dylan Borczak scored a goal with two assists recording four points while Cameron Wilde, Charlie Braithwaite, Mikey Ketteman and Dawsun Schrum each scored a goal. Braithwaite, Wilde, Noah Jensen, Frank Jones and Carson Debison-Larabie also accounted for five of the Golden Grizzlies' seven total assists.
 
Team Breakdown
-The 2021 season marks the 47th year of the men's soccer program
- Head Coach Eric Pogue is in 12th season and 19th overall with the program
- Oakland was picked to finish in a first-place tie along with UIC atop the 2021 Horizon League Men's Soccer Preseason Poll, as announced by the league office on Tuesday and voted on by the league's 11 head coaches. Both teams earned 109 points with the Golden Grizzlies securing three first-place votes compared to eight votes for the 2019 league regular season champion Flames.
 
- The Golden Grizzlies have 10 returners including All-Horizon League First Team selection Dylan Borczak, Second-Team selection and team captain Noah Jensen and All-Freshman Team selections Cameron Wilde and Adam McAleenan.
 
- Oakland has a diverse group of 19 newcomers who will look to make an immediate impact.
 
- The 2021 roster also includes 14 international players representing 12 different countries: Australia (2-Kieran Hayes, Finn Jurak) Canada (3 - Noah Jensen, Sebastian Nuzzo, Jaiden Ramsay-Kelly), England (1-Charlie Braithwaite), Finland (1-Ville Ahola), France (1-Arthur Widiez), Japan (1-Taiga Shiokawa), Jordan (1-Mohammad Issa), Mexico (1-Gabriel Baylon), Netherlands (1-Remco Gielen), New Zealand (1-Owen Smith), Northern Ireland (1-Adam McAleenan), Switzerland (1-Julien Beausire).
 
- Last season, Oakland finished the season 7-9-3 overall with a 4-2-2 conference mark to earn the No. 2 seed at the Horizon League Tournament. The Golden Grizzlies were upset by No. 5 seed and eventual tournament champion Wright State, 4-1.
 
2019 Statistically Speaking:
Forwards and Midfield:
- Borczak led the team in assists (8) which was fourth in league lead and ranked 31st nationally at the end of the regular season. Additionally, he led the team in points (16) which also was 10th in the league and was tied for second on the team in goals (4). Borczak scored a goal with a season-high in assists (2) and points (4) in Oakland's 5-1 win at Robert Morris (8/30/19). He recorded three points in a game with a goal and assist on three occasions with the game-winner against IUPUI (10/12), in overtime at Green Bay (9/21) and at Wright State (10/5).
 
- Braithwaite led the team in goals (6) and ranked third second in points (13)
 
- Jensen also ranked second on the team in points (13) and tied for second on the team in goals (4) scoring against Western Illinois, IUPUI, UIC and Northern Kentucky. He was also second on the team in assists (5) against Robert Morris, Green Bay, UIC, Marshall and Wright State.
 
- Braithwaite and Borczak also led the team in game-winning goals (2). Braithwaite's game winners came against Green Bay and Robert Morris while Borczak's came against Wright State and IUPUI.
 
- Wilde tied for third on the team in points (9) with three goals and three assists. Wilde recorded his first career goal and assist in his collegiate debut in a 5-1 win at Robert Morris. He added a goal in a win over Western Illinois and recoded the equalizer to rally the Golden Grizzlies from a two-goal deficit to a 2-2 draw at Bradley. Wilde also posted assists in wins over Green Bay and IUPUI.
 
Backline production:
-Returners Reid Sproat and Micah Sonnenberg look to anchor a backline to that recorded five shutouts last season.
 
Goalkeeping:
Newcomers Finn Jurak, Nour Moaoui and Brian Ostapenko will all look to compete to replace 2019 Horizon League Goalkeeper of the Year Sullivan Lauderdale who graduated and will be helping out the staff as a Volunteer Assistant Coach.
 
Last season, Lauderdale posted a 6-8-3 record while tying for third in the Horizon League in shutouts (4), fourth in saves-per game (4.11) and eighth in goals-against-average (1.59). His four shutouts this season all came in league play leading to wins against Cleveland State (1-0), Green Bay (3-0) and IUPUI (4-0) along with a scoreless draw against Milwaukee. Lauderdale was also named Nike Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week (9/23).
 
Team Effort:
- As a team, Oakland led the conference lead in points (93), ranks third in assists (31) and fourth in goals (31).
 
- 11 different players accounted for 30 total goals while 12 different players have recorded 31 assists.
 
- The Golden Grizzlies were 1-1-3 in overtime games.
 
###