CLEVELAND  – The Niagara soccer team kicks off its 2010 season at the Cleveland State Vikings on Sunday at 3 p.m.

Dermot McGrane enters is ninth season at the helm of the program. Niagara was picked to place fourth in the MAAC Preseason Coaches Poll after finishing last season with a 7-10-3 record and 5-3-1 MAAC mark.  The Purple Eagles participated in the MAAC Tournament for the fifth-straight season and advanced to their first-ever MAAC Championship Final after knocking off top seeded Iona in penalty kicks.

Niagara returns four of its top five point scores from last season. Sophomore Bryan DaCruz led the team with seven goals and was named to the MAAC All-Rookie team. Senior midfielder Levi Tesch was selected to the 2010 Preseason All-MAAC Team for the second-straight season. Tesch finished last season third on the team with five goals and 11 assists on his way to being named to the All-MAAC First Team.

Junior forward Carl Haworth, senior Jordan DeRoy and sophomore defender Rene De Zorzi will help provide experience for a Purple Eagles squad that returns 14 letterwinners.

McGrane brings in a heralded recruiting class into the 2010 season which includes student-athletes with international caps, junior college championship and top club experience. One of the highly touted newcomers is freshman Gino Corasaniti. The forward hailing from North Syracuse, N.Y. was recently named to College Soccer News’s annual list of “100 Freshmen to Keep an Eye On”. 

The Purple Eagles will face a Vikings team which is 0-3 on the season. Niagara trails in the all-time series, 5-3-2, but the series is 2-2-2 since 2004.