UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University men's soccer team is ready to get back on the pitch for the first time since 2019, and the Cardinals are set to challenge for the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title.

SVSU enters the 2021 season picked to finish second by the coaches in the GLIAC. The Cardinals, under Head Coach Louis Barrow, will look to continue the program's recent run of success that has brought four regular-season GLIAC championships to University Center since 2011.

The Cardinals finished the 2019 season in second place, behind newcomer, the University of Wisconsin Parkside, with a record of 13-6-1 overall and 10-4 in the GLIAC.

"Expectations for the season are to continue our historic run of success and compete at the top end of the GLIAC with our sights set on winning silverware," Barrow said. "We will hopefully be at least where we always are, at the top. We understand the blueprint to be successful in this conference and feel as though we have prepared well. However, the GLIAC is an exceptionally difficult and talented conference. No games are given to us."

Barrow will rely on a core group of returners to lead the way this season, led by team captain Robbie Bruce.

"He (Bruce) has natural leadership ability, and ample amounts of humility and integrity," Barrow said. "He leads by example in terms of effort, work rate, and respect."

Other returners that the team will turn to include Brady Walker, Gabriello Calamita, Mason Maziasz, and Danny Barlow (senior transfer for Denver University).

SVSU opens play at Northern Michigan University at 1 pm Sunday in Marquette, Mich.

The 2021 spring schedule includes seven GLIAC contests with home games against Northwood University on March 21, Davenport University on April 3, and Upper Iowa University on April 18. The GLIAC Tournament will be contested April 25 through May 2.