Nansemond River High School’s boys’ soccer team is excited to get its season under way. The Warriors start the season against Oscar Smith High School on Tuesday.

After finishing last season with a 9-5-1 record, the Warriors are back for the 2017 season and are ready to get things started. The team has had two preseason scrimmages so far, in which it tied against Smithfield and defeated Norview.

“I like the team this year,” Warriors coach Dustin Tordoff said. “I think we have a chance to be competitive. We have a few guys coming back, and the new guys who have come off have really started to impress and are putting their impact on the team already.”

For the players returning who started last year, Tordoff is looking forward to seeing those players ascend into leadership roles. Tordoff is hoping players who were in reserve roles last year and are transitioning into starter positions can step into their roles and produce right away.

Returning for the Warriors will be Sterling McGee, the team’s leading scorer from last year. Dylan Heyman should also add some valuable scoring to the team. Tordoff has liked his development and what he can bring to the team this year.

Defensively, Tordoff expects his team to be strong this year as they fill positions for players who graduated last year. Starting goalkeeper David Wright returns, and Sasha Karlov and Jacob Baker will be the team captains this year.

The Warriors lost a total of about 12 players from last year’s team through graduation and other losses. Most of the team is made up of juniors who have been a part of the program since their freshman year.

“I’ve really like our chemistry early in the season,” Tordoff said. “I’ve liked how the guys have worked together. Our chemistry is ahead of where I thought it would be this early on. The new guys who are stepping up have acclimated themselves to the varsity level well. Just the overall team work ethic has been really good.”

Tordoff feels his team can clean up its communication and chemistry among players. The Warriors are excited about the season, and Tordoff even joked he and his team have started a countdown to the season opener.

Tuesday’s opening will take place at home at 5:30 p.m. Last year, Nansemond River got off to a strong start but didn’t finish the season as well as they would have liked. This year, the Warriors are eager to get back and show the quality of team they have.