The St. Thomas Aquinas College men's soccer team will have a new look and a new field as they open the 2013 season this Thursday against Bloomsburg University at 3:00 pm. It will be the first official game at the all new Spartan Field.

After the field's dedication this past fall, the first official competition will take place when coach Graham Brown's Spartans against their visitors from Pennsylvania. Pre-game ceremonies will get the ball rolling before the Spartans kick the 2013 season into gear.

In addition to the new field, the team itself will have a different face. An injury-plagued season a year ago derailed what was a promising campaign for STAC, though the squad battled to a respectable 5-5-5 overall record.

They will start action this season facing the graduation of All-Conference standouts Daniel Davren and Sean Reilly, and standout goalkeeper Andrew Tartara.

Among the key returnees are defender Laurie Child, who was an East Coast Conference Second Team All-Conference selection a year ago. He will anchor an experienced back line that includes the return of Joseph Cutajar and Dennis Lazo-Cruz.

Sean DeVito and Michael Corbi return after seeing significant minutes in the midfield last season, with Michael Wagner standing as the only listed forward to return.

A great deal of impact on the team's fortunes will rest on the feet of a group of newcomers, with the roster sporting six freshmen and six sophomores among the 21 man squad.

They will go a long way in determining whether STAC can qualify for one of the four berths in the post-season ECC Men's Soccer Tournament. Their colleagues in the league know better than to count out the feisty Spartans, as the recent pre-season poll of coaches selected them to finish in a tie for fifth in the 10-team circuit.

Thursday's opener will be the first of three straight at home for the men's squad, as they host New Haven on Sunday, September 8, and St. Rose on Wednesday, September 11, both at 3:00 pm