Dr. Roger Mast, Head Coach (18th Season, EMU '85)

The 2008 season will be the 18th for Dr. Roger Mast as head coach of men's soccer at his alma mater, Eastern Mennonite University. He has compiled a record of 162-140-26 in his previous 16 seasons and was honored as Old Dominion Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1996 and 1998 when the Royals won conference championships. The 1998 team reached the final 16 of the NCAA Division III Championship, helping Mast to earn Virginia State Coach of the Year honors from the Virginia Sports Information Directors. He was also honored as State Coach of the Year in 1999 by the Laura Mapp College Coaches.

The 2005 EMU squad finished seventh in the ODAC at 3-4-2, but got hot at the end of the season to make a run to the conference championship game. The Royals knocked off second-seeded Roanoke 2-1 in double overtime in the quarterfinals and then took down third-seeded Washington and Lee 2-1 in the semifinals. In the championship match at top-seeded Virginia Wesleyan, the teams battled to a 0-0 tie after double overtime, but the Marlins pulled out the championship 4-2 on penalty kicks.

The 2006 and 2007 squads have eached reached the quarterfinal round of the ODAC Tournament with the Royals going 3-3-3 in the ODAC in 2006 and 3-5-1 last season.

Mast played four years of intercollegiate soccer at EMU. As team captain, he helped guide the Royals to top eight finishes in the National Christian College Athletic Association championships in 1982 (fifth) and 1983 (seventh). During his career, he scored 10 goals and recorded 13 assists for 33 total points, which ranks in the top 25 all-time at EMU. Mast also played two years of varsity baseball at EMU.

Mast graduated from EMU with a Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Education. He went on to earn his Master of Science in Health and Physical Education from West Chester University. Mast recently finished his Doctorate in Educational Leadership: Higher Education at Argosy University.

Before returning to Harrisonburg, Mast spent four seasons as both head soccer coach and head baseball coach at Christopher Dock Mennonite High School in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. His soccer squads went 39-26-2 in four seasons, and he earned Bicentennial Athletic League Coach of the Year honors in 1990 in baseball.

Upon arriving in Harrisonburg, Mast spent one season at Eastern Mennonite High School, where he guided the Flames to a 14-3-2 record and the Virginia Independent Conference Championship in 1990. He then returned to EMU, where in addition to soccer, Mast coached the women's softball team for five years. He was named ODAC Softball Coach of the Year in 1991 when the Lady Royals finished as conference runners-up.

When it comes to coaching soccer, Mast believes that, "The harder I work, the luckier I get!" Continuing to stress hard work, Mast added, "Players are entering college with a greater amount of technical ability than ever. What has led and will lead our team to success is the desire of the athlete to out-work his opponent and to encourage and challenge his teammates to do the same."

Mast continues to enjoy coaching because of the challenge of consistently developing athletes to reach their highest level of performance. In addition, he gains satisfaction from developing relationships with players that last beyond their college experience. He strives to have a positive influence on players' lives on and off the field.

Not only is Mast the men's soccer coach at EMU, but he is also an Assistant Professor in the Health and Physical Education Department. While coaching, he served as Athletic Director briefly in 1990 and from 1991 to 1994.

Mast currently resides in Harrisonburg with his wife Cheryl and sons Mark and Grayson.

Sheldon Rice, Assistant Coach (Sixth Season, EMU '03)

Sheldon Rice returns to the sidelines of the EMU men's soccer field for his fifth season as an assistant coach after helping to guide the team to a 36-39-19 mark in his first five seasons. He played three years for the Royals (1999, 2000, 2002) as a defender, earning all-conference honors in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference during all three seasons. He graduated from EMU in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Physical Education.

Rice currently works as a Physical Education teacher at John Wayland Elementary school in the Rockingham County School System. During the spring, he also coached the junior varsity squad at Turner Ashby High School.

Rice currently lives in Harrisonburg. His favorite aspect of coaching is getting to know the athletes.

Ted Erickson, Assistant Coach (Second Season, EMU '04)

Erickson enters his second season as an assistant for the Royals after a four-year career with the EMU men's soccer program. He played in 63 games for EMU from 2001-04 and started all but three of them. The defensive specialist ended his career with four goals and four assists, serving as a key force for a strong Eastern Mennonite defense.

He currently works for the Rockingham County School system and lives in Harrisonburg, Va.