OKLAHOMA CITY (Sept. 5, 2014) – To say Oklahoma Christian's men's soccer lineup last season was patchwork at times would be doing a disservice to quilts.

Injuries decimated the Eagles in 2013 as they posted a 4-11-1 record. It got so bad for coach David Scott at one point that fully one-third of his roster was unavailable for health reasons. Scott consistently was forced to play players out of position, and the lack of depth also meant he couldn't substitute as frequently during games, which often resulted in late-game issues due to fatigue.

OC will start the 2014 campaign on Saturday at home against Southern Nazarene with only 21 players, but they're mostly healthy and will begin the season playing positions at which they are comfortable, which Scott hopes will make his job a bit easier.

"There are still some questions about a few things," Scott said. "Some players, we're still trying to figure out where best to use them. But overall, I think we have a lot of talent. Now we need to mesh it all together, because of the 21, eight are new, so there are a lot of new faces and we're trying to get everybody on the same page. But I have seen a lot of positives."

The Eagles return an experienced goalkeeper in Evan Helker. The sophomore saw action in 13 games last season, recording a 2.88 goals-against average that was more a reflection of the patchwork defense in front of him than in his own abilities. He earned the starting job midway through the season and enters 2014 as the unquestioned No. 1 for the Eagles, with freshman Korey Bartel serving as the backup.

Last season's slew of injuries took a particular toll on the back line, where "I don't know that we started the same (foursome) in any two games," Scott said. About the only consistent force on the OC back line last season was Matt McLain, a three-year starter who's never missed a game and earned Academic All-America third-team honors as a junior. McLain not only is a consistent defender, but his height allows him to also be a threat on free kicks and in 2013 he scored his second career goal.

Freshman Clay Collier – who played for an Edmond North High School team that won a Class 6A state title – will play alongside McLain in a center-back position and should bring a physical presence to the Eagles' defense, Scott said.

Cody Cook, who has played in the midfield the past two seasons, will move back to a defensive back position along with sophomore Sergio Flores. Both possess the capability of pushing forward into attacking positions, as Cook had two goals and three assists last season and Flores scored a key goal that allowed OC to salvage a draw on the road against Newman (Kan.).

Senior Angel Nisi could split time with Flores, Scott said, or Nisi could see time in the midfield for the Eagles.  Daniel Bolin, who missed last season due to injury, returns on the back line and should provide quality depth, along with newcomers Braydan Castrop and Devin Price, a transfer from Cowley County (Kan.) Community College.

In the midfield, freshman Cody McLemore and veterans Seth Brown and Taylor Vanderford all should be good options to see playing time in the middle. The team's top returning scorer, senior Domenico DeGrazia (nine goals, three assists), will be on one midfield wing while sophomore Tom Tippeconnic (one goal, four assists) will be on the other.

Fraol Legesse, who has shown offensive flashes of brilliance when healthy, and fellow sophomore Ante Susic – a transfer from West Virginia Wesleyan – also will be in the midfield playing rotation, along with freshman Albert Gonzalez.

A pair of proven offensive players will see time at forward – junior Brandon Little Axe, who had four goals and six assists last season, and junior Cole Rinke, who had five goals and two assists. Junior-college transfer Anthony Buchanan will redshirt.

OC will play only 14 games this season (four below the NCAA limit) because of difficulties finding opponents with open dates that matched those of the Eagles. The Eagles will start with a four-game homestand, which will include three games against first-time opponents for OC, including sister school Harding (Ark.).

After that, six of OC's next eight games will be on the road. The Eagles will close the campaign with a pair of home games, one against last season's first-place Heartland Conference squad, Lubbock Christian (Texas).

"I think we're heading in the right direction," Scott said. "We're building, but we've got some good pieces to do that."