The Basics:
Kicking off regional play and their NCAA season, the SFU Clan men's soccer team (0-0-2 in exhibition matches)  will head to the Golden State as they prepare to face the Cal State San Bernadino Coyotes and key early season game against 2015 NCAA Division II finalist Cal Poly Pomona Broncos

SFU will take on the Coyotes at 4:00 pm on Thursday, September 1, while the first kick against the Broncos is set for 7 pm on Saturday, September 3.

Coming in:
Against the UBC Thunderbirds and UFV Cascades in exhibition play, the Clan gave both CIS clubs fits. The Clan traded chances with UBC in the first contest, but stingy defenses on both sides resulted in a scoreless draw. In the second exhibition match, SFU pushed the pace of play, as they held two one-goal leads though eventually settled for a 2-2 tie.

As they open the 2016 campaign, the Clan will be looking to improve on an impressive 10-3-4 record from 2015, which was good for second in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC).

Cal State San Bernardino will be coming into the 2016 season with something to prove, as the Coyotes' 2015 campaign saw them go just 4-9-3 (2-7-3 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association). Also in the CCAA, Cal Poly Pomona were dominant last year, going 17-3-3 en route to being the National Runners-Up in all of NCAA Division II.

Key Storylines:
- Three major pieces of SFU's dominant backline are back after a 2015 season in which they allowed just 12 goals in 17 games (eight in 14 GNAC contests). The veteran threesome of Anthony Van De Vendel, Pascal Schmidt, and Robert Hyams will be joined by senior Capilano transfer Andre Pietramala following the graduation of Callum Whittaker. In goal, veteran netminder Brandon Watson will look to improve upon a campaign that saw him collect 10 shutouts and play every second of the Clan's 17 games across all competitions in 2015.

- In addition to some returning talent up front, the Clan will also be looking to incorporate a talented class of incoming freshmen, including a pair of former Whitecaps FC Residency standouts, striker Riley Pang and midfielder Marcelo Polisi, as well as English youth star Freddie Gard. With such an influx of talent up front, SFU will be looking to avoid the offensive inconsistency that saw them score one goal or less in eight games last season.

Players to Watch:
Adam Jones – Heading into his sophomore campaign, the 5-foot-5 Jones was dominant in his inaugural NCAA season, posting eight goals and six assists to not only lead SFU in both categories, but earn the GNAC Freshman of the Year Award.

Tony Lo – The junior midfielder from Sydney, Australia led Cal State Bernardino in goals (five), points (11), and shots on goal (13) last season, all working towards a first-team All-CCAA nod.

Nadeer Ghantous – Like Jones in the GNAC, Ghantous was the CCAA's Freshman of the Year in 2015. However, the 6-3 defender accomplished the feat due to his mobility and strength from the backend, playing a key role in Pomona's stifling defense.

From the Coach's Mouth:
"We know how important these games are," notes SFU head coach Clint Schneider, referring to the early-season regional matchups. "The thing is, we believe we can compete with anybody. We have the talent to play with the best.  It's so important for us to set a tone on Thursday, get a win under our belts, and then look to Saturday."