By TUCKER MAGGIO-HUCEK
Cornell men’s soccer will begin its 2014 season on Friday, taking on No. 2 Louisville (1-0) in Kentucky. The squad will then make the short trip north to Xavier University (0-2) in Ohio where it will play its second game of the season on Sunday. The pair of games this weekend will present an early challenge for the Red, as both opponents have participated multiple times in the NCAA Tournament.
Senior defender Devin Morgan explained that even though the season is still early, the team is prepared for the challenge.
“The team is ready to compete with anybody in the country and is looking forward to the battles against No. 2 ranked Louisville and Xavier,” he said. Friday night’s contest with Louisville will be a tough matchup for the Red. The Cardinals began their season with a 1-0 defeat of then No. 2 ranked Maryland and subsequently jumped 12 spots in the NSCAA rankings. In addition, ACC head coaches voted for the Cardinals as the favorite to win the conference in 2014.
Senior Peter Chodas will be one of the returning players and leaders of the deffensive line this season after the graduation of Patrick Slogic ‘14 last spring. Connor Archard / Sun Sports Photography Editor)