Hempstead, N.Y. - Hofstra will start the 2012 season Saturday with a 3 p.m. contest at Lehigh aiming for its third winning season in the last four years.

The 2011 season saw a young Hofstra men's soccer program play competitively in almost every match, engaging in 11 games decided by a single goal. Though there were growing pains in a 7-10-1 showing, the Pride should be better for the experience with nine starters and 15 letter-winners returning in the new campaign.

Hofstra ended last season with momentum, defeating No. 12 James Madison, 3-0, to provide what head coach Richard Nuttall hopes will be a preview of things to come in 2012. Entering his 24th season at the helm of the program, Nuttall will now have a solid mixture of veterans and underclassmen that will try and propel Hofstra back into the postseason coming out of the competitive Colonial Athletic Association.

Hofstra did not lose a single game in regulation in the last four games in 2011, going 1-0-1 in the final two matches, including a tie at home against Penn State. The Pride returns its two All-CAA members from last year, with reigning CAA Defender of the Year Shaun Foster and all-third team member Chris Griebsch coming back to man their respective units on the pitch. After a breakout campaign in his first season as a full-time starting goalkeeper, Roberto Pellegrini will look to be a dependable presence between the pipes again.

Here is a position-by-position look at the 2012 Hofstra men's soccer team:

Goalie
Pellegrini played every second in net last season, posting four shutouts and a .742 save percentage. After starting eight games as a freshman, the Italian-born goalkeeper thrived in his second season, registering a 1.70 goals-against average.  An imposing figure in the net at 6-foot-4, finished with two shutouts against CAA teams, including a blanking over a JMU squad that was ranked 12th in the country at the time.

Pellegrini logged 95 saves, giving Hofstra the second-most in the conference and the highest saves-per-game average at 5.28 in the 12-team league.

Backing up Pellegrini is senior Adam Janowski. The Coram, NY, product did not see any playing time in net last year but had four saves over two appearances as a sophomore in 2010. With his fifth year in the program, the strong-legged veteran will look to fortify the position.

Defense
The strength of last year's team remains large intact, bolstered by Foster's return. The two-time defending Defensive Player of the Year was also Hofstra's leading goal scorer as Foster netted a career-high five goals. The leader of the Hofstra back line improved from his 2010 season in which he won the CAA Rookie of the Year award and proved to be a valuable two-way player, adding an assist and finishing with a team-best .417 shooting percentage.

Foster is one of a few talented defenders who have acquired valuable game experience. Junior Tyler Botte emerged as another good asset both defensively and at attack. Adept at gaining possession on balls in the air, Botte showed a knack for finishing near the net, scoring four goals on just 12 shots in his sophomore campaign. Botte ended the season with goals in back-to-back games, including a key strike in the victory over nationally ranked JMU.

Senior Thomas Bekas is also back to add depth after starting eight games while serving as one of the team's captains. Bekas, who has manned the right flank for Hofstra in the past, will look to use his crossing ability to set up a Hofstra offense looking to improve off its 25-goal output in 2011.

Fellow senior A.J. Laza brings another experienced back to the unit. Laza has played internationally with the Puerto Rico national team and started 10 of the 11 games in which he appeared as a junior. The game-tested players could serve as good mentors for freshman Marius Flateboe, a 6-1 defender out of Norway.  Chris Grenzig played in 11 games and, like Flateboe, will compete for extended playing time this season. Newcomer Dane Sacree could be another option if the freshman has a good training camp.

Midfield
Senior Mike Annarumma took a big step forward in his career, going from valuable role player to dependable starter last season. Annarumma was one of just three players to start all 18 games and scored one goal with two assists.

Florian Popp got off to a good start with a goal before an injury shortened his season after 11 games. After show play-making skills in his first two seasons, Popp will be looking to stay healthy the entire year and give Hofstra another midfielder with good situational awareness. Junior Ryan Dunne earned the first extended playing time of his college career in 2011, appearing in 10 games off the bench while taking on a defensive-orientated approach to the position.

Senior Stephan Barea once again showed he can do more than serve as an attacking midfielder. As a freshman, Barea scored six goals but did not score any in his sophomore year when injuries necessitated a move to the back four. Barea found a balance between the roles last season, scoring a goal on 17 shots while playing strong defense in starting 15 games.

With Hofstra letting the veteran players focus on defense, sophomore Maid Memic will look to continue the offensive touch he showed as a freshman. In his first college season, Memic scored a goal and tied for the second most assists on the team with three in 15 games.

Four of the team's five freshmen also carry ample experience as midfielders during their prep careers. Sacree, Joseph Holland, Felix Schaefer and Mike Rooney will try to improve an already-strong area for the Pride.

Though he did not play last year, sophomore Dario Alberico is back on the Hofstra roster after gaining a familiarity with the coaching staff last season. Two other new players will also vie for time at the position with junior Herbert Biste coming to Hofstra after starting his college career at the University of Bayreuth in Germany. Ellev Sandtroen played a defensive-midfield role in his native Norway, playing in the Norwegian third division for the Tynset soccer club before coming to New York.

Forward
Hofstra will look for junior Chris Griebsch to duplicate his scoring prowess from a season ago. With Brett Carrington and his four-goal output gone due to graduation, Greibsch could see even more of the scoring burden fall on him. As one of just two non-goalies to start all 18 games last season, Griebsch scored four goals but also set-up teammates for success. His 10 assists led the CAA, giving him a career-high 18 points. He converted Hofstra's lone penalty kick attempt of the season and came up with a game-winning goal against Drexel, and tallied points in his final four games, hopefully giving the Pride momentum entering the new season.

But it takes more than one player to man an entire unit and sophomore Heidar Emilsson could be up to the challenge. The Gardabaer, Iceland, native played in all 18 games as a freshman, scoring two goals and finishing with five points. Emilsson was judicious with his shots, taking only 10 attempts to accumulate his point total.