GRANVILLE, Ohio (August 31, 2021) – The Denison University men's soccer team is headed into its 2021 season with plenty of optimism and excitement and being picked to finish fourth in the North Coast Athletic Conference Preseason Poll.

The Big Red have a core group of men that are going to help their team be successful in the upcoming season.

Senior Dylan Brown is returning for a fifth year and will likely provide stability in goal going into the 2021 season for Denison. He has started 33 matches in his career and was named Second-Team All-NCAC both in 2018 and in 2019.

Junior Ethan Miracle was named Honorable Mention All-NCAC in 2019 after scoring a team-leading seven goals and 16 points on 42 total shots as a freshman. Miracle scored in six of Denison's final eight matches of the year and will look to start 2021 on a high note as well.

Seniors Stuart Windell and Burke McLaughlin have combined to make 66 appearances in a Denison uniform and will lead the midfield while sophomore Lorenz Hoover will provide some positive chances going forward in attack for Denison after appearing in all 17 matches and scoring a goal in his freshman campaign in 2019.

"We are really excited about our upperclassmen leadership core of Stuart Windell, Dylan Brown and Lorenz Hoover," said Coach Brandon Bianco. "They will be our captains for this year and all three have done a great job so far setting a high standard for others to follow."

2021 will be the first full Fall season for Bianco at the helm of the Big Red after taking over the program in the summer of 2020.

When asking Coach Bianco about the upcoming season and how his team is feeling coming off of a shortened 2020-21 season, he said, "A big talking point we have had so far this year is to be grateful for the opportunity we have to do something that we love. This past year has highlighted for our young men how special college soccer is, and we're going to work as hard as we can to make the most of each opportunity we have to train, play, and spend time together."

The Big Red will begin their new season on the road at the University of Mount Union as the two teams kick off at 6 p.m. in Alliance, Ohio.

Denison's 2021 home opener will come only three days later when the Big Red host Muskingum University at 7 p.m. on Saturday, September 4, on Barclay-Thomsen Field.

The first day of NCAC play is scheduled to kick off on September 25 and will include Denison at Ohio Wesleyan University. The Big Red will host Allegheny College over Big Red Weekend on October 2nd, and will also host reigning NCAC Champion Kenyon College one week later on October 9th.

"Anytime we have a chance to play at home on Barclay-Thomsen, we know it is an opportunity to be comfortable in our environment, our home routine, and to play in front of students and supporters," concluded Bianco. "We have a large chunk of the year where we get to play eight or nine matches at home, and if we can make the most of those home matches it will give us a lot of positive momentum as we finish up conference play."

To follow the action all season long, please check out our Live Events page for all of the video and live stats details: https://denisonbigred.com/coverage