Nashua Eagles forward Brendan Davis gets tripped up during last year's season opener at Rivier's Merrill Field. The Eagles open up in Hartford, Conn. on Saturday. (Telegraph file photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – They’re back, and hoping that the growing pains of 2022 turn into wins in 2023.

The Eagles of the International Soccer Club of Nashua, the area’s highest level soccer team, begin their fifth United Premier Soccer League season on the road on Saturday at 2 p.m. vs. Hartford (Conn.) Athletic U19 at Trinity Health Stadium.

Eusebio Marote returns for his second year as the head coach and the Eagles, who went with a young team that managed a couple of wins last year, will have many of those players returning.

“We’re looking to build with this particular group,” said team president Jared Barbosa. “Just every day that goes by, every year that goes by they’ll get better and better. We’re really excited for this group. They’ve really bought in.”

While Saturday is big as the season opener, the Eagles will have an even bigger day next Saturday with their home opener at Rivier University’s Joanne Merrill Field at 6 p.m. vs. Unations FC of Worcester, Mass. The Eagles have used Rivier as their home in every season except 2019 when they had to play home games in Manchester and other spots while Rivier built the Robinson Pavilion. They didn’t play in 2020 due to the pandemic.

It’s a team put together by general manager Jeremy Zelanes, Marote and Barbosa, and it starts with James Meli out of Salem State who returns as a center back, and his Vikings teammate, Brendan Davis, who looks to be the Eagles’ go-to man up front. The ISC Pro team last year lacked that big player up front that could win the one-on-one battles after Davis got hurt early in the season. Now they have it.

“He’s a special talent, a special player,” Barbosa said. “We’re looking forward to getting him going. Last year he was injured, but our front line is looking good with him leading it. … He’s speedy, he’s strong. He’s not tall, but he’s fast and he moves with purpose.”

Willis Griffith is another center back, a former University of New Hampshire player who was away the last two seasons – he played overseas at one point – and the Eagles like his experience.

“He’s a big body in the back, and a great leader as well,” Barbosa said. “Massive amounts of experience. Super excited to have him.”

There are locals as well. Hudson’s Nick Cardenas, plus Jose Ochoa and Ryan Hadouche, of Rivier and Nashua fame.

Zelanes, of course, was a familiar name last fall as the Nashua High School North boys coach. Marote, a Daniel Webester alum, knows the game well and is ready for his second season.

“He has a lot of passion for the game and understands what is needed,” Barbosa said.

The Eagles are marketing their team to the the ISC’s youth teams, and with most of their half dozen or so home games set for Saturdays at 6 p.m., that works out just fine.

If they can get success on the stands and on the field, the Eagles may be ready to finally take off.