The Men's and Women's soccer teams are ready to begin their 2021 campaign. The men will open their season on September 9th when they travel to Ulster Community College. The women's first match will be on Saturday, September 11th when they host Hudson Valley Community College.
First year Head Coach, David Clayton, is eager for the season opener after several weeks of pre-season. "Training has been a lot of fun and the women's team has already made a bond with each other. We are excited to have a few different additions who have joined us late and we are continuing to add girls as we go along. On the men's side, they bring a high tempo and make practices very competitive. We have a lot of players from all over the world and some local talent that has stepped training up a notch," said Clayton.
The Raiders have been focusing on their fitness levels after coming off a year without playing due to COVID. The men's team returns Javonie Barham and Gaynor Leveridge from the 2019 squad and they will lead the FMCC defense.
"We need to be disciplined and play as a team. We will focus on playing as one unit and improving on our team bond throughout the season. I have no doubt we can be successful with the right attitude."
The women's team has all new players as they rebound back after a five-year hiatus. The Lady Raiders are stacked with local talent and look to be competitive in the Region.
"Having a season is a success after five years of not having one, but we aren't looking to be the team at the bottom of the table. We have ambition to win games and we are looking forward to seeing how we compare to these other teams," said Clayton.
Both teams will open at home on September 11th when they host Hudson Valley Community College. The women's game is slated for 1:00 p.m. and the men will begin at 3:00 p.m.
