Cal Lutheran men's soccer will begin its season tonight on the road against SOKA.

The Kingsmen are coming off a 4th-place finish in the SCIAC in 2024 after maintaining a 4-5-3 record in conference play. Cal Lutheran has had success in the conference in recent years with four straight top-4 finishes in the SCIAC regular season.

A strong senior class returns to Cal Lutheran, led by reigning All-SCIAC defender Jack Gominiak. On the offensive end, veterans Alejandro Loza and Max Scott will look to build off their success from the previous year in which Loza scored four goals in just 315 minutes and Scott collected three goals in 16 starts. The Kingsmen have an experienced group, returning 10 of their top 15 players with the most minutes played in 2024.

Isaak Tanaka will be the starting goalie after appearing in one match last year and playing behind two senior keepers.

A quick trip to SOKA, an NAIA opponent, will kick off Cal Lutheran's season. The Kingsmen will then travel to Colorado the following weekend for a pair of early tests in Colorado College and Whitman. Colorado College is ranked 20th in the nation by the first coaches poll.

The Kingsmen will look to remain competitive in the SCIAC and attempt to make their way back into the NCAA Tournament.

On the upcoming season, Head Coach Miguel Ruiz mentioned his team's veteran presence: "I'm excited to see the senior-heavy roster step up and lead the rest of the group to a very successful year. We've also got talented first-years coming in to add to the culture and environment."

Cal Lutheran kicks off on the road against SOKA tonight at 4:30pm.