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SALT LAKE CITY – The Westminster men's soccer team will open the 2014 campaign by playing four games over four days at the Westminster Kickoff Classic. The event will feature two games each day at Dumke Field during the season's opening weekend.

Westminster starts the slate against Carroll (Mont.) on Thurs. afternoon. This will be the first-ever game for Carroll as they are in the first year as a program.

On Friday, the Griffins return to action with a contest with longtime soccer rival, Embry-Riddle (Ariz.). Westminster will then play The Master's (Calif.) on Sat. before closing out the weekend against Bethesda (Calif.) on Sun.

Griffin Notebook
The 2014 Griffins return 13 players from last year's team that finished 9-11. The roster features seven seniors and two juniors that played big minutes in 2013. They also return two of the three goalies that played last season, including Logan Butzier who led the team with 76 saves.

About Carroll
Thursday's game will mark the first-ever game in the history of the Carroll men's soccer program. They launched the program in the spring to start for the 2014 campaign.

About Embry-Riddle
Embry-Riddle will be making its 2014 debut when they face the Griffins on Friday. The Eagles finished 14-5-1 last season and qualified for the opening round of the NAIA National Championships.

About The Master's
The Master's College will play their first games of the 2014 season at the Kickoff Classic. The Mustangs are coming off a 2013 season that saw them finish at 5-12-1.

About Bethesda
Bethesda is a second-year program that competes as a Division I member of the National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association.

Westminster Kickoff Classic
Opening weekend is a busy time at Dumke Field as the Griffins play host to the Westminster Kickoff Classic from Aug. 21–24. Along with Westminster, the field includes Bethesda, Carroll, Embry-Riddle (Ariz.), Great Falls and The Master's. The event features two games each day with the Griffins playing all four days.

What's Returning
The 13 players returning in 2014 combined to score six goals and tally eight assists a year ago. The group attempted 74 shots and managed 40 of them on goal. The returning goalies combined to make 86 saves while allowing 27 goals.
 

Inside the Numbers
Category	2013 Total	2014 Returners	% Returning
Goals	29	8	27.6%
Assists	16	10	62.5%
Points	74	26	35.1%
Shots	205	89	43.4%
SOG	107	47	43.9%
Saves	90	86	95.6%

Climbing the NAIA Wins Chart
Head Coach Chris Dorich enters the 2014 season with 274 wins and he ranks eighth in the NAIA among active coaches in that category. Dorich is in his 31st season at the helm of the Westminster program and is one of three NAIA coaches across the country with 30 years at one school.
 

NAIA Winningest Active Coaches
Rank	Coach, Institution	Yrs	Wins
1.	Steve Burke, Judson (Ill.)	30	519
2.	Ray Wells, Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)	26	474
3.	Scott Morrissey, Rio Grande (Ohio)	25	386
4.	Brian Harvey, Oklahoma City	28	382
5.	Blair Reid, Grand View (Iowa)	30	360
6.	Dan Birkey, Concordia (Ore.)	26	350
7.	Dave Wolf, Westmont (Calif.)	23	280
8.	Chris Dorich, Westminster (Utah)	30	274
9.	Jim Rickard, The Master's (Calif.)	23	271
10.	Chris Kranjc, Hastings (Neb.)	15	266

Home Cooking
Over the years, Westminster has been tough to beat at home. The Griffins have compiled a winning record at home every year since 2001 and only had a losing record at home four times in 30 seasons. Since Dumke Field opened in 2005, Westminster has gone 55-20-4 on the home turf.

Manny in the Midfield
Senior Manuel Duenas returns for his senior season after posting two goals and two assists in 2013. The 5-foot-2 midfielder has played in 49 games as a Griffins with three goals and 10 assists during that span.

Alcox Top Returning Scorer
Anthony Alcox is the top returning scorer from last season. The senior finished second on the team with three goals and eight points last season. He has scored five goals in his Westminster career, including a pair of game-winners.

Connor Thompson also Returns
Sophomore Connor Thompson is also back in 2014 after totaling five points last season with two goals and one assist. The 5-foot-7 forward finished second on the team last season with 16 shots on goal which accounted for 59.3 percent of his 27 total shots.

Rees Anchors the Back Line
Junior Aaron Rees played 1,657 minutes last season and is back to anchor the Griffin defense in 2014. Rees hasn't missed a game during his two years at Westminster and he has played a total of 3,084 minutes during that time. He recorded his first career point with an assist against Johnson & Wales (Colo.) last Sept.

The Butzier Wall
Logan Butzier returns as the incumbent goalkeeper for the 2014 season. Butzier played in 18 of the team's 19 games last season and recorded a 1.40 goals-against-average. He made 76 saves with a .760 save percentage and recorded six shutouts and nine victories.

Looking Ahead
Westminster remains at home next weekend as they host the annual Westminster Labor Day Classic. The Griffins begin the holiday weekend against Dakota Wesleyan on Aug. 29 before facing College of Idaho on Sept. 1. Both games will be played at Dumke Field.