COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The official start of the 2015 season is upon us as the Tennessee Tech soccer team gears up for the upcoming campaign after reporting to camp for the beginning of its preseason schedule on Tuesday.

Chalk full of extra buzz and intrigue thanks to the addition of broadcast quality lights at Tech Soccer Field that allow home night matches for the first time in program history, the Golden Eagles officially unwrap their preseason training slate on Wednesday. The squad will embark on two training sessions per day, leading up to its first team scrimmage, under the lights at 7:30 p.m. CT on Monday (Aug. 10).

The preseason schedule revs up with the first chance to witness Tech clash with another school as the Golden Eagles will welcome in Alabama A&M in an exhibition match on Friday, Aug. 14 at 7 p.m. Like all regular season home matches, admission is free of charge.

The 2015 campaign officially gets underway a week later as TTU will hook up with Arkansas-Little Rock on Aug. 21 in the regular season opener at Tech Soccer Field at 7 p.m., christening a new era in Golden Eagle soccer with the first regular season home night match in program history. In fact, three of the first four matches will be played in the friendly confines of Cookeville, with Middle Tennessee coming to town on Aug. 23 at 4 p.m., before the University of Alabama makes its way over on Aug. 30 at 7 p.m.

Under second-year head coach Steve Springthorpe, the Golden Eagles welcome back 17 returnees, bringing seven newcomers aboard as well. Still primarily a youthful squad, 16 of the 24 draped in the Tech purple and gold are freshmen or sophomores, with five juniors and only three seniors making up the remaining eight spots on the roster.

Stay posted to ttusports.com as well as the Tech Athletics Facebook and Twitter for continuous updates throughout the 2015 TTU soccer season.