WICHITA, Kan. — Losing a large senior class after winning double-digit games for the second year in a row meant the Newman men's soccer team had plenty to replace entering the 2016 season.

While tons of productivity was lost to graduation, longtime head coach Cliff Brown is still excited about the Jets' prospects, as the team returns a sturdy bunch of contributors and brought in an influx of talent that will make an impact on the field immediately.

"I think the biggest thing overall is that we're going to be a very different style of team than we've had in the past," said Brown, who is entering his 29th year at the helm at Newman. "That top level of skill is much different. We have much more subtle players out there. Now, how well that's going to work in the college game, which winds up being fairly frenetic sometimes, we'll have to see."

Eleven new faces dot the Jet roster this year, including two graduate transfers, a pair of junior college players, a former college football player and four freshmen. They add to a lineup that already features two returning all-region players.

"We're pretty athletic at most spots, but we're not that run-and-gun, high-paced team that you get a lot in Division II," Brown said. "So it's been a different challenge to coach this group, but I think we're on the right track."

Newman opens the 2016 season in Colorado against South Central Region foes, heading to Colorado State-Pueblo to open its campaign at 6:30 p.m. Friday and closing the weekend with a 3 p.m. matchup Sunday at Regis.

Season Breakdown (2015 Statistics in Parentheses)

Goalkeepers

Returners: Calum Dillon, Jr. (19 GP/19 GS, 1752:13 min. in goal, 1.54 GAA, 75 saves, 1 shutout).

Newcomers: Blake Andrews, Sr. (at Drury: 11 GP/9 GS, 983:18 min. in goal, 1.10 GAA, 28 saves, 3 shutouts).

Coach Speak: "We have two strong goalkeepers this year. We brought in Blake Andrews from Drury, who I coached for years, and he's extremely athletic and fit. It's put us in a much different situation, where we're much deeper at goalkeeper, and it's certainly put some pressure on our returner in Calum. I think it's the best situation we've been in in a long time in goal."

Defenders

Returners: Jamie Barkway, Jr. (17 GP/16 GS, 83.8 min./gm, 3 G, 1 game winner, second-team all-South Central region); Jonatas Esgolmin, Jr. (8 GP/2 GS, 41.4 min./gm, 3 shots); Kieran Laking, So. (17 GP/12 GS, 68.2 min./gm, 2 A); Gbonju Odukale, Jr. (14 GP/6 GS, 36.1 min./gm, 1 G); Rich Wincer, Jr. (15 GP/12 GS, 65.1 min./gm, 2 A).

Newcomers: Andreas Agrell, Fr.; Francklin Dallian, Jr. (Played football at Coffeyville CC); Fernando Rubio Garcia, So. (at Sheridan JC: 10 GP/10 GS, 1 A); Nick Smith, Jr.

Coach Speak: "We're returning a couple of really top ones in Jamie, Richard and Kieran. Gbonju has developed over the years. He's always been a great defender, but had hamstring problems that finally seem to be sorting themselves out. So we're deep at the position there. The freshman Andreas Agrell has looked good in the preseason as well. I think we're much deeper across the back than we have been in the past. We always had some pretty good first-line guys, but now we're two-deep at every position."

Midfielders

Returners: Landon Arensberg, So. (3 GP, 11.3 min./gm, 2 shots); Vince Couto, So. (14 GP/6 GS, 41.8 min./gm, 13 shots); Vitor Okamoto, Jr. (Redshirted); Adam Sawyer, Jr. (Redshirted); Bernardo Vilas Boas, Sr. (7 GP, 24.6 min./gm, 1 A).

Newcomers: Tommy Fiszel, So. (at Southern Nazarene: 18 GP/18 GS, 7 G, 4 A, 2 game winners); Ed Jabbari, Fr.; Christian Velasquez, Fr.

Coach Speak: "Central midfield is looking very strong. Vince Couto has been bright during the preseason. Ed Jabbari looks very useful, and Tommy Fiszel, a transfer and local kid from Andover. And then returning players, we still have some that could start, so it's quite a battle in the center. On the flanks, it's pretty much held down by Luca Anelli and Marian Saar. They're our primary wing players for us. We have a few come off the bench, but I think those two are pretty obviously the starters at that position."

Forwards

Returners: Luca Anelli, Sr. (19 GP/17 GS, 61.6 min./gm, 9 G, 5 A, 2 game winners, second-team all-South Central region); Gefte Blanc, Sr. (18 GP/8 GS, 39.3 min./gm, 2 A); Chibueze Nwagwu, Sr. (16 GP/3 GS, 29.2 min./gm, 5 G on 21 shots).

Newcomers: Carlos Rubio Garcia, So. (at Sheridan JC: 10 GP/10 GS, 9 G, 4 A, 34 shots); Marian Saar, Sr. (at Tabor College: 19 G, 19 A over last two seasons in 2012 and 2013); Daniel Steigerwald, Fr.

Coach Speak: "Up top I think we're looking really, really good right now. With the addition of Rubio Garcia, whose brother will play a big role on the defense, we're really building some depth. He's been really good. Even when he's having a bad game, he scores goals, and you have to love forwards like that. Nwagwu is developing very nicely this year. Gefte plays up top and can be a defender for us too. So again, we have a lot of people that can fill those positions, and we can rotate a couple of people through some different positions."