NEW YORK — The 2024 Columbia men's soccer season begins Friday when the Lions visit Quinnipiac (0-2-0). The match begins at 4 p.m. from the Quinnipiac Soccer & Lacrosse Stadium in Hamden, Connecticut.
 
GAME COVERAGE:
Fans unable to attend Friday's season opener can watch live on GoBobcats.com. Fans can also track the live stats courtesy of GoColumbiaLions.com. In-game updates will also be provided on the @CULionsMSOC social media accounts.
 
RETURNING
The Lions return 18 players from last year's team. Eight of this year's returners played in 10 or more matches last season, while nine players started at least six matches. Columbia's two returning goal scorers are Joao Lima and Chad Baker. Lima netted four goals and took a team-high 28 shots with 14 shots on goal on his way to an All-Ivy League Honorable Mention. Baker scored three times and assisted another as a first-year in 2023. Midfielder Alessandro Fraciosa played and started nine matches and was third on the team with 14 shots taken.
 
NEW-LOOK LIONS
Columbia announced the addition of 11 players to the roster last month. The newcomers included eight first-years and three sophomores. Two of those sophomores, Joe McDaid and Jack McDaid, transferred in after playing the 2023 season at Maryland.
 
Among the incoming defenders are Rafa Romo, Joe McDaid, Andrew Hilton II and Will Carnoy. Alexander O'Brien will also look to make an impact on the defense as the lone incoming goalkeeper. The midfielders are Luke Zielinski, Jack McDaid, Peter Chang and Will Case. Meanwhile, forwards Andres Garcia and Luka Peric hope to make the most impact on Columbia's goal-scoring efforts.
 
A CHANGE IN GOAL
Columbia will have a new primary starting goalkeeper for the first time since 2018 after the graduation of Michael Collodi last year. Collodi started 57 matches and played in 58 during his four-year career – Columbia's 2020 season was canceled due to COVID. He graduated with 237 career saves, which ranks second all-time behind program leader John McElaney (1976-79), who had 334. Collodi now plays for North Texas SC of MLS Next Pro.
 
Among this year's returning keepers, junior Dean Kelliher has made one collegiate appearance and senior Andreas Zamanian has played in four games with two starts.
 
BUILDING FROM 2023
Columbia looks to build from a 2-8-4 campaign a year ago in what was the first under head coach Michael Casper. The Lions improved from back-to-back single-win campaigns in 2021 and 2022, defeating Manhattan, 3-0, for Casper's first win before going on to down Quinnipiac, 2-0.
 
ABOUT COLUMBIA MEN'S SOCCER
The 2024 season marks the 77th varsity season of men's soccer at Columbia University. The program was established in 1906 but discontinued as a varsity sport from 1916-57. The program regained its varsity status in 1957 and played 63 straight seasons until the 2020 campaign was canceled due to COVID.
 
Columbia men's soccer came to prominence in the late '70s, advancing to their first NCAA Tournament in 1978 before going all the way to the Final Four in 1979. After multiple NCAA Tournament appearances and Ivy League championships through the early '80s, the Lions made a run to the NCAA Tournament Championship Game in 1983. Columbia defeated UConn, 4-0, in the Final Four to take on Indiana for the National Championship. The Hoosiers outlasted Columbia, 1-0, in overtime.
 
Columbia owns 10 Ivy League championships and 13 NCAA Tournament appearances all-time.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Quinnipiac is two games into their campaign and will host Columbia for its home opener Friday night. The Bobcats started the season on August 22 at Providence, falling 2-0, and were defeated by URI this past Monday, 1-0. They were picked to finish sixth in the MAAC preseason poll and are coming off a 3-9-5 campaign in 2023, going 1-5-4 in the conference.
 
Columbia and Quinnipiac renewed their all-time series last September at Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium. The Lions were victorious, 2-0, behind goals from Joao Lima and Jake Novoshelski. Last year marked the first time in nearly a decade that the two programs squared off. This will be Columbia's first trip to Quinnipiac since 2014.
 
FOLLOW THE LIONS:
For the latest on Columbia men's soccer, be sure to follow the team on Twitter and Instagram (@CULionsMSOC), on Facebook (ColumbiaMensSoccer), or by visiting GoColumbiaLions.com.