The collegiate soccer season is a relatively short one. Especially for seniors, it can go by in a flash. Led by eight seniors, including six who are entering their fourth campaign in the program, the Chico State men's soccer team understands the urgency of its season-opening road trip to Washington, which they leave for on Wednesday, if they want to extend this last go-around into the postseason.
 
"They're veterans. They've been to the playoffs. They've won a lot in this conference and know what it takes to win," said Wildcats Head Coach Felipe Restrepo. "I'm excited for this veteran group. They've got the experience behind them and they are ready to go."
 
It's a good thing they are. The Wildcats, picked sixth in the preseason California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Coaches Poll, open the season against two of the region's top programs – Seattle Pacific (Thursday at 7 p.m.) and Western Washington (Saturday at noon).
 

Links to live state and live streams of both matches are available via the links above, on the men's soccer schedule page, and in the calendar section on the homepage.
 
Restrepo enters his 10^th season at the helm with a record of 95-49-28 and six postseason appearances under his belt. He's led the 'Cats to three California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) North Division crowns, three NCAA Championships Tournament appearances, and a West Region title.
 
His head assistant coach, Bertin Loyola, is now in his third season, which Restrepo believes is a boon for the program.
 
"I'm throwing Bertin into the fire a little bit more and I really like what I see," said Restrepo. "I think he brings a lot to the table for us."
 
The coaches are not the only members of the team who own valuable experience. The team is senior heavy. Frankie Palmer, Carter Johnson, Dylan Wakefield, Matthew Tarr, Triston Montoya, and Sasha Peranteau are entering their fourth year in the program. Donta'e Garcia and Christian Roman are fellow seniors who transferred in.
 
Those seniors are among the 19 returners from last season's 8-6-3 squad that came on strong at the end of the campaign, winning its final five regular-season matches before bowing out in the CCAA Tournament.
 
Six of those returners – Palmer, Johnson, Peranteau, Colby Cueva, Garrett Hogbin, and goalkeeper Damion Lewis – are returning starters.
 
"The most important piece going into such a short season is to be able to stay focused on your outcomes and stick to your game plan," said Restrepo. "When you have an older group that has been through it, you can lean on them to keep everyone on the right track. Veterans know what it's like on the road. They know what our process looks like. They are helping me get that message to the whole group."
 
They are also providing a vital sense of urgency.
 
"The feather that they're missing is that NCAA Tournament bid," said Restrepo. "This group is thirsty for that."
 
Good results on the road this weekend would be a great start.
 
Newcomers are also vital to the quest to get there. The program's preseason trip to Spain provided the team's true freshmen and junior college transfers more opportunities to showcase their talent.
 
"The new batch of guys is awesome – as good as we've ever had in terms of talent and character," said Restrepo. "They are bucking for some playing time. That usually doesn't happen because, frankly, you don't have the opportunity to give those kids much of a chance. The matches we played in Spain allowed us to see a few guys in different situations and they've been impressive."
 
Goalkeeper was the one area already cemented prior to Spain. Lewis, Luke Dennison, and Montoya all return this season after combining to allow only 15 goals in 17 matches in 2016. 
 
"In my opinion, Damion Lewis is one of the best goalkeepers on the West Coast, if not the best," said Restrepo. "Luke and Triston are very talented as well. I'm comfortable with any of those three back there."
 
Hogbin, a sophomore lauded by Restrepo for his work ethic, bite, and competitiveness on the pitch, leads the back line. A combination of Peranteau, Tarr, Cueva, Garcia, fellow returners Justin Bethke and Joshua Belda, and junior college transfer Ryan Caro, will compose the remainder of the final third.
 
Johnson (career totals of six goals and five assists) and Christian Roman will anchor the midfield, surrounded by loads of talent, including Wakefield (four goals and two assists), Palmer, Esten Schroeder, Fabian Roman, and Alex Fluitt (the team's assist leader last season with four).
 
Junior College All-American Jeremiah Egujie, who tallied 26 goals in two seasons at Arizona Western College, is a big and talented striker in the mold of Omar Nuño, the Wildcats' scoring leader last season.
 
"Jeremiah has been very good. We think he's going to be able to put some balls in the back of the net," said Restrepo. "And there are a slew of young guys right behind him who are bucking for time.
 
They include true freshmen Eruvey Arceta, Juan Perez, and Daniel Adeyeye, and sophomore Michael Hirsch.
 
Restrepo is also excited about adding to the tradition of local players in the program this season. Nick Lopez (Pleasant Valley High School of Chico), Beto Gonzalez (Los Molinos) and Montoya (Yuba City) are part of a strong history of local talent during Restrepo's tenure, joining the likes of Kenny Rosecrance and Chia Thao (Chico High School), Hector Cibrian (Live Oak), Jake Ward (Pleasant Valley), Luis Martinez (Olivehurst), Ryan Struckmeyer (Yuba City), and Leo Zarate (Gridley).
 
Restrepo believes it all adds up to something special. 
 
"There's a little magic to this group," he said. "With the exception of my first year, I feel that every year we've had the right recipe for success: talent, work ethic, and the ideals of the program. Every year we've had an opportunity to win and to win big, and we've won a lot. This year is no different than year's past. Except for that little bit of magic."
 
This weekend we will reveal the first glimpse how much success they can pull out of their collective hat.