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Simply keeping the ball rolling is the goal for both DAL AC Rams soccer teams this season.

After both the men’s and women’s teams managed to climb out of the basement in the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) last year, the Rams are optimistic even brighter times await them this campaign.

“The guys who are returning want to build from where we left off,” Shawn George, who is entering his second season as coach of the men’s side, said. “Our goal is to have a better first half of the schedule and keep growing from there.”

Kristian Wolters a rookie from Hunter River PE , in action against Crandall

The Rams will get a chance to do that Saturday when they host the Mount St. Vincent Mystics at Langille Athletic Centre Field. The men hit the pitch at 3 p.m. while the women do battle at 1 p.m. Both teams then host the Crandall Chargers on Sundayat 2 and 4.

Both the men’s and women’s squads made small steps forward in 2015. Both teams posted three wins in conference play, more than either has boasted for several seasons. Both finished with 3-8-1 (W-L-T) records to place sixth among seven teams.

However, both DAL AC squads also enter the weekend with 0-1 records after dropping their season openers to the Holland College Hurricanes.

In spite of the early setback, women’s coach Jackie Ryan said the vision hasn’t changed.

“Our goal this season is to continue to grow as a program and work hard on and off the field,” she said.

Janelle MacKeil – 5^th year and co-captain leads the attack in pre-season against Crandall

Although the women’s roster only features five names from last year’s squad, Ryan, entering her fourth season coaching the Rams, doesn’t see the turnover posing a problem. She feels the additions of rookies Erin Higgins and Kaileigh Langille have strengthened the squad with their technical skill and the addition of fifth year player and Truro native Brett McCavour adds maturity and consistency.

Couple that with the leadership of returning players like co-captains Janelle MacKeil, Cora Sharp and Sian Rankin – whose 12 goals last season was good enough for second in the conference – and Ryan is more than happy with her lineup.

“Overall this year’s team has more depth than we have had in previous years and we are looking forward to challenging for a playoff spot.”

On the men’s side, George can see the effects of last year’s positive moves. Training sessions thus far have been rich in both pace and optimism. For the coach, that’s the first step in building a winning program.

“The first goal is to compete in training and in every game,” he said. “If we have good energy and are organized and play a solid 90 minutes it will give us a chance to be successful.”

Along with welcoming several new faces in the player department, the Rams have added to the coaching staff. A familiar personality,  Craig MacEachern, who played for the Rams for the past five seasons, has made the jump to assistant coach under George. MacEachern, a Valley resident, brings a wealth of experience and talent. He scored 10 goals in 12 matches last season to finish second in the conference and was named team MVP. Also added to the coaching staff is Josh MacKinnon , a Pictou County native who played university soccer in Maine.  Josh is heavily involved in Pictou Co. club soccer with elite teams and has a keeper background.  He is working with both teams and adds additional expertise and energy for both programs.

Just as his players gained valuable experience last season, so too did George. Now with a year of coaching college soccer under his belt, George feels he’ll also be better this season, which will only help the Rams.

“I feel like I’m more prepared coming into the season than I was last year,” he said. “The chemistry in the locker room is great, the training environment has been great thus far and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.”