Muhlenberg returns all but three letterwinners from a team that went 11-8 last fall and tied for second place in the Centennial Conference. Six of the eight losses were to teams that were ranked during the season, and five came by a 1-0 score. The Mules advanced to the ECAC Tournament championship game before dropping a 1-0 decision to Gettysburg.

For the first time since 1997, Muhlenberg will open a season at home. The Mules host Western New England tomorrow night at 7:00.

The lineup was in a constant state of flux last year, with 22 different players starting at least one game, but one position that remained constant was goalkeeper, where Rob Pomento recorded five shutouts and earned All-CC honors for the second straight year. Fellow senior co-captain Greg Ramos was named to the All-Region second team as a back. Senior Jon Herman and junior Quentin McDowell started most of last season on defense, while sophomore Patrick Ryan broke into the starting lineup late in the year.

Up front and in the midfield, the Mules return their six leading scorers. Junior Ben Long paced the team with seven goals for the second straight year, and senior David Vassilaros chipped in six goals in his first season after transferring. Justin Marx and Mark Lee both showed considerable promise as freshmen, scoring three goals apiece. The flashy Marx received All-CC honorable mention.

Senior Chris Rowley (three goals, four assists) and juniors Tom Hartey and Kevin Disch also will contribute veteran experience.

Muhlenberg was selected to finish third in the CC preseason poll. Johns Hopkins, ranked 12th in the Division III preseason ratings, was a unanimous choice to repeat.