FAIRFAX, Va. – When the team reports for the first time on Tuesday, several new faces will be receiving their introduction to George Mason men's soccer.

The Patriots welcome eight newcomers for the 2017 season, which begins on Aug. 25 at home against Coastal Carolina. The group includes midfielders, defenders and goalkeepers who hail from three countries (Iceland, Ireland and United States) and two states (Georgia and Virginia).

"This is a very diverse group of players from a lot of different places," head coach Greg Andrulis said. "It is a good group of guys with some experience. The group in general is very good and should be able to compete right away, help us get to the conference final and the NCAAs. All the goals we have for ourselves every year, we certainly expect these guys (to contribute).

"They're also very good in the classroom. Academically, the guys are all very solid. They enjoy the diversity, the location, the challenge of a high academic level and a very, very good soccer program."

Midfielder Agnar Sverrisson arrives as a graduate student from Reykjavik, Iceland. Defender Arnor Gunnarsson also hails from Reykjavik, Iceland. Rounding out the international talent is Corey Chambers, a 6-foot-2 goalkeeper from Wexford, Ireland.

Closer to home, the Patriots also add four student-athletes from Virginia: defender Ian Mateer (Haymarket, Va.), midfielder Emin Karic (Leesburg, Va.), defender Grant Hughes (McLean, Va.) and Ramez Bakhtari (Clifton, Va.).

Zion Gray, a junior midfielder from Snellville, Ga., has been on campus since January. The transfer spent the last two seasons at West Virginia, where he played in six games.

Mason returns 21 letterwinners and seven starters. The Patriots begin practicing on Wednesday and will have three exhibitions within a week. Mason hosts VMI (Aug. 13) and Delaware (Aug. 16) before wrapping up preseason play at Old Dominion (Aug. 19).

"We're excited," said Andrulis, who begins his 13th season at the helm. "We had a great spring. We were able to accomplish all the goals that we set – in the classroom, in the community and on the field. We have a very good group coming back that is very committed and very talented. With the addition of the guys that we have added to the program we certainly expect to be right back in the mix where we have been in the previous years and being one of the better teams in the country. Those are our expectations. I'm excited to work with them. A third of your team is new. Getting them all to gel together and play together will be our mission in preseason. We're looking forward to it."

                                                            2017 Newcomers
                                            Position            Hometown                            High School
Ramez Bakhtari                 Midfielder           Clifton, Va.                             Centreville
Corey Chambers              Goalkeeper        Wexford, Ireland                      Gorey Community School
Zion Gray                             Midfielder           Snellville, Ga.                       IMG Academy
Arnor Gunnarsson           Defender            Reykjavik, Iceland           
Grant Hughes                    Defender            McLean, Va.                           Langley
Emin Karic                           Midfielder           Leesburg, Va.                       Loudoun County
Ian Mateer                         Defender            Haymarket, Va.                      Battlefield
Agnar Sverrisson              Midfielder           Reykjavik, Iceland