CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Georgia Southern men's soccer team will open up the 2017 regular season this weekend, making the short jaunt to Charleston, S.C., for the Aaron Olitsky Tournament, hosted by the College of Charleston.

The Eagles will face Monmouth on Friday at 5 p.m., then take on Furman on Sunday at 4 p.m. Fans can follow live stats of both matches via the College of Charleston's live stats page.

Georgia Southern played a pair of exhibition matches to get ready for the 2017 season, drawing Presbyterian by a 1-1 score on August 11th, then dropping a 1-0 decision at Central Florida on August 19th. Earlier this week, the Eagles were picked to finish second in the Sun Belt Conference in a preseason poll of the league's coaches. 

Head coach John Murphy, in his second season with the Eagles, directed Georgia Southern to an 8-8-3 overall record in 2016 and a share of the Sun Belt Conference regular season title. The Eagles return 14 players from last season's squad for 2017, including 10 of 11 starters, and 16 newcomers join the fold for this year.

Here's a quick look at who the Eagles will take on this weekend in Charleston to open the season.

MONMOUTH
Location: West Long Beach, N.J.
Nickname: Hawks
Conference: Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Head Coach: Rob McCourt
2016 Record: 6-9-3
Series Record: First Meeting
Live Stats Link: http://statb.us/b/182106

This will be the first meeting in school history between the Hawks and the Eagles, and Monmouth is the only first-time opponent for Georgia Southern this regular season. Monmouth was picked to finish third in the MAAC this season - the first time since 2005 that the Hawks have not been picked to win the conference in the league's preseason poll. Preseason All-MAAC selection Colin Stripling leads a core of 12 returners for the Hawks in 2017. Head coach Rob McCourt has won 150 career games in 13 seasons at Monmouth and his teams have captured the MAAC regular season championship nine times.

"I've known Rob McCourt for a long time," head coach John Murphy said about this weekend's first opponent for the Eagles. "They're a team that's traditionally gone to the NCAA tournament, but missed out on it last year. I think they're going to bounce back, as good programs do. Monmouth is a ball-playing side, a possession-style team who like to keep the ball and pass it. It should be a good game because we try to do the same. I know hey'll have that Jersey grit and attitude that I admire so much being from the Northeast myself."

FURMAN
Location: Furman, S.C.
Nickname: Paladins
Conference: Southern Conference
Head Coach: Doug Allison
2016 Record: 6-9-3
Series Record: Furman leads 21-4-2
Live Stats Link: http://statb.us/b/182139

The Eagles meet the Paladins for the first time since 2013 as Furman served notice this preseason that last year's 6-9-3 record was an aberration - a 1-0 exhibition win over preseason No. 2 Wake Forest on August 13th opened eyes around the nation. Furman also picked up a 1-0 win over Winthrop on August 17th in exhibition action and heads into this season picked to finish fourth in the Southern Conference in the league's preseason vote of the league's coaches. A pair of Paladins earned preseason All-SoCon honors, midfielder Kobe Perez and defender Kyle McLagan. Head coach Doug Allison has an outstanding 267-118-48 mark in his 21 seasons at the helm of Furman men's soccer.

"Doug has developed some fantastic players over the course of his career," Murphy said. "I was involved with Clint Dempsey up in New England so I've gotten to know Doug thorugh those things, the players that he's developed and have gone on to MLS. He's been a true success there. Doug's teams play the tirght way, very disciplined and organized. "

COACH MURPHY ON THE OPENING WEEKEND OVERALL

"These are great games to play early in the season because they are going to force you to look in the mirror and figure out what kind of team are we going to be this year," Murphy said. "If we can come away this weekend and have a little bit of the grit and attitude that Monmouth is going to have, and a little bit of the organization and class that Furman have, we're going to be a better team for it. You can't help but get better when you play against top competition and we'll certainly get that this weekend."