The Aaron Olitsky Memorial Soccer Classic at Patriots Point will mark the beginning of the regular season for the College of Charleston men’s soccer team on Friday, Aug. 26, 2016.

The men’s soccer program has opened each of its last 15 seasons in honor of the late Aaron Olitsky, a former Cougar soccer player and 1997 graduate of the College who died tragically in a car accident in 2001.

The Cougars kick things off with a Friday Night Futbol affair at 7:30 p.m. against a Navy Midshipmen program that went 8-9-1 in 2015. The match is sponsored by the Army ROTC who will be present at the event, and in that spirit, Wounded Warriors and campus veterans will be honored at the game.

A shuttle service will be provided to transport students to and from the game. The shuttle will pick-up at the corner of George and Coming streets beginning at 6:30 p.m. and will continue running throughout the game until all students have been dropped off. Free pizza and Coke will be available to students on site, and the first 300 students to arrive will be given free T-shirts.

On Sunday at 2:30 p.m. the Cougars will face Florida International. Following the game, there will be a free soccer clinic for all youth in attendance.

For more information about other games taking place during the classic, visit CofCsports.com.