ABILENE, Texas – There's a fresh air of enthusiasm permeating the McMurry University men's soccer program entering the 2015 season. One of the main reasons for the renewed spirit within the program is the arrival of new head coach Chris LeFevre.
 
LeFevre – who came to Abilene with an extensive background in NCAA Division III – has five seasons as a head coach at Adrian (Mich.) College under his belt. In all, LeFevre brought 10 years of coaching experience on the collegiate level with him to McM.
 
LeFevre wasted little time in attacking what was a glaring shortcoming to last season's 6-8 team:  Numbers.  Returning just four total players – all starters – from 2014, LeFevre enters 2015 with a roster of 19 members (compared to 14 last year), giving his squad more depth and options.
 
Heading the cast of returning players is seniors Michael von Ende-Becker (Def., Lubbock, Texas/Lubbock H.S.) and Kyle Riese (Mid., Hurst, Texas/Birdville H.S.). Von Ende-Becker was an NCCAA Scholar-Athlete and ASC All-Academic selection in 2014. He started all 14 matches in the defensive half. His play helped McM to a 1.99 goals against average in 2014.

Riese was also an ASC All-Academic selection and also started all 14 matches. He tallied two goals and had one assist. 64 percent of Riese's shots were directly on-goal.
 
Junior Matt Hernandez (Def., San Angelo, Texas/Lake View H.S.) also returns after playing in 13 matches in 2014. Hernandez tallied two goals and four assists, good for eight points. He had a match-winning goal on Sept. 30, 2014 when he scored both goals of a 2-0 win over Jarvis Christian.
 
Sophomore Julio Alfaro (Fwd., Ft. Worth, Texas/No. Crowley H.S.) is also back, after making seven starts in nine appearances on the pitch for McM. Alfaro registered one goal and two assists.  Senior Jeronimo Aguilar (Mid., Cottonwood Shores, Texas/Marble Falls H.S.) played for McM in 2011 and is returning to the squad during his final college year.
 
Newcomers to the team include a cache of no less than 13 freshmen and one transfer. Sophomore Fernando Pereira (Def., Dallas, Texas/L.D. Bell H.S.) comes to McM after a year at Paris Junior College. The group of freshmen is made up of: Enrique Rivera Arceda (GK, Houston, Texas/Westside H.S.), Austin Long (GK, Alden, N.Y./Alden H.S.), Mario Sandoval (Mid./Ft. Worth, Texas/No. Crowley H.S.), Norman Gonzalez (Mid./Houston, Texas/Bellaire H.S.), Abraham Martinez (Def., San Antonio, Texas/Southside H.S.), Zack Smith (Def., Lubbock, Texas/Monterey H.S.), Martin Ornelas (Mid., San Benito, Texas/Los Fresnos H.S.), Eduardo Zuluaga (Mid., Georgetown, Texas/East View H.S.), Josh Erwin (Def./Duncanville H.S.), Favian Buenrostro (Mid./So. Grand Prairie H.S.), Rafael Lara (Fwd., Houston, Texas/YES Preparatory North Central), Alejandro Santana (Mid., Dallas, Texas/Uplift Peak Preparatory) and Edgar Semintal (GK, Dallas, Texas/Uplift Peak Preparatory).
 
"This season is all about momentum for our program," LeFevre said.  "We want to be competitive and perform an attractive style of play.  We want to display a relentless attitude in our work both on and off the field.  We want to establish a passion for the way we do things and why.  If we are able to gain momentum in all these areas this year, our program will be establishing itself as a top team in the conference and that is the ultimate goal."

McMurry opens its season on Tuesday (Sept. 1) at NAIA power Wayland Baptist University. Start time is slated for 7 p.m. in Plainview, Texas.