DENVER – The Metropolitan State University of Denver men's soccer team is ready to get things rolling.
 
"It's like getting ready for a big New Year's party," MSU Denver coach Jeremy Tittle said of Friday's 6 p.m. season opener at home against St. Mary's (Texas) at the Regency Athletic Complex. "Everyone knows when it's going to be and you're counting down the days, and then the hours, and then you'll pop the cork to celebrate it."
 
If training camp had been a party, it might've been more of a get-acquainted mixer for the Roadrunners, who have to replace six of their top seven scorers from last season.
 
However, MSU Denver took an offseason approach in which this past spring was considered the start of the season. Returning players helped re-define what it meant to be part of the program, and they in turn passed that culture on to the newcomers.
 
"It was great to see," said midfielder Yannick Schad (Munich, Germany/Theodolinden-Gymnasium), the only Roadrunner returning who registered more than four points last season. "Normally the preseason is really short, but we said that our season started this spring. We created a base for the newcomers so that they know what culture we have. It's good to start new."
 
That has allowed the Roadrunners to make significant strides once training camp started.
 
"We've seen a lot of progress through training camp and from scrimmage to scrimmage to scrimmage," Tittle said. "We've made significant steps forward. We feel like we're primed and ready to start this week."

MSU Denver has five starters back from a team that was 8-11-1 overall and tied for fourth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference with 24 points (8-6-0). 
 
Leading scorer Nils Runnberg (Barsebäck, Sweden/Jensen Education) of Sweden departed early to sign a professional contract, swinging the focal point of the attack back to Schad and fellow midfielder Danny Bautista (Denver, Colo./North). Schad had four goals and four assists last year and is a member of the preseason All-RMAC team. Bautista had two goals last season.
 
"There's a high expectation for (Schad) this year," Tittle said. "I think he'll be a marked man by the rest of the conference. Danny will attract more attention as well.
 
'"They are just quality players, quality students, quality guys. They're going to be a big part of the way we play. They're going to help us build the game."
 
Goalkeeper James Tanner (Lake Stevens, Wash./Lake Stevens) returns after going 8-9-1 with six shutouts, a .707 save percentage and a 1.51 goals-against average last season.
 
"James is one of the better goalkeepers in the conference, and if he can stay healthy, he'll do really well for us," Tittle said.
 
The Roadrunners are picked to finish sixth in the RMAC. Tittle said that doesn't surprise him considering the quality of the league, but he also hopes it provides some motivation, too.
 
"I think the common perception is that it's one of the top three conferences in the country," Tittle said. "Our returners and new guys have to respond well to being picked sixth. There's got to be some appetite there. We're picked sixth and one of our goals is not have to play in the first round (of the conference tournament) by finishing first or second (and receiving a bye)."
 
Said Schad: "Of course the goal is to win the RMAC tournament at the end of the season. That's our first goal. Once you are start being successful, anything is possible."