DeLAND, Fla. — Friday night will be about more than the final score for Stetson men's soccer. The Hatters will celebrate five multi-year members of the program before welcoming Florida Polytechnic to the Athletic Training Center for a 6 p.m. kickoff.

Stetson will recognize captain Ross Appolon, Afonso Conde, Zsombor Pall, Daniele Mastroianni and Maurice Hauser as part of its Senior Night ceremony beginning approximately 30 minutes before kickoff. All five have spent multiple seasons in the Green and White and have helped contribute to last year's trip to the conference semifinals.

The Hatters enter Friday at 5-7-2 overall and 3-3-0 in ASUN play following Tuesday's narrow 3-2 setback against Florida Atlantic. Despite the loss, Stetson continued its recent offensive surge behind the first two collegiate goals of Xavier Manning's career and has now scored 13 times over its last four matches.

Before Friday's match gets underway, Stetson will turn its attention to five Hatters who have left their mark on the program over multiple seasons in DeLand.

Appolon, Conde, Pall, Mastroianni and Hauser will each be recognized during a pregame ceremony beginning approximately 30 minutes before kickoff.

The group has been part of an important stretch in the program's recent history. Stetson captured the 2024 ASUN regular-season championship before advancing to the ASUN Championship semifinals again in 2025, when the Hatters closed the year with three consecutive results and held North Florida scoreless through 110 minutes in the tournament semifinal before falling in penalty kicks.

Each of Friday's honorees has contributed in a different way. Appolon has developed into a leader along the back line and serves as Stetson's captain this fall. Conde has emerged as one of the Hatters' most productive attacking players, while Pall has provided goals throughout his career, including a team-leading six during his Second Team All-ASUN campaign in 2025. Mastroianni has been a consistent presence in the lineup this season, and Hauser has provided another experienced option in the attacking third, scoring seven goals over his three seasons in DeLand.

Tuesday's result against Florida Atlantic did not go Stetson's way, but the final minutes produced a memorable breakthrough for Xavier Manning.

The redshirt sophomore defender entered the night without a collegiate goal and left with two, scoring both of Stetson's goals in the second half for the first brace of his career.

Manning opened his account by cleaning up a rebound for his first goal as a Hatter before striking again with 2:51 remaining in regulation. Pall supplied the assist on the second goal as Stetson pulled within one and continued to push for an equalizer in the closing minutes.

The two goals came on Manning's only two shots of the season. Through three appearances and 64 minutes, he now has four points while putting both of his attempts on target and converting each into a goal.

Manning also became the 11th different Hatter to score this season, continuing a trend that has seen Stetson receive production from throughout the roster.

Stetson's attack has taken a significant step forward since the calendar turned to October.

After scoring nine times through its first 10 matches, Stetson has produced 13 goals over its last four. The stretch began with a 4-1 road victory at Lipscomb before the Hatters scored four more in a 4-2 win at South Florida. Stetson followed with a 3-2 ASUN victory over Jacksonville before Manning supplied both goals in Tuesday's 3-2 setback against Florida Atlantic.

It marks the first time this season that Stetson has scored multiple goals in four consecutive matches. The Hatters have averaged 3.25 goals per match during the stretch after averaging less than one per contest through their opening 10.

Through 14 matches, Stetson has scored 22 goals on 171 shots while placing 62 attempts on target. The Hatters are averaging 12.2 shots and 1.57 goals per match and have assisted on 20 of their 22 goals.

The production has also been spread throughout the roster. Eleven different Hatters have scored this season, with seven players recording multiple goals. Conde leads the group with five, Matthew Perez follows with three and Valentin Fontaine, Justin Blanco, Mauricio Restrepo, William Mills and Manning have each scored twice.

One of the five Hatters being honored Friday also enters Senior Night as Stetson's leading scorer.

Conde has recorded five goals and an assist for a team-high 11 points through 13 appearances. The Lisbon, Portugal, native has generated 19 shots, putting nine on target, while accounting for two game-winning goals.

His biggest surge came during Stetson's recent three-match winning streak. Conde scored twice in a 4-1 victory at Lipscomb for his first multi-goal performance of the season and was subsequently named ASUN Offensive Player of the Week.

He followed by opening the scoring and adding an assist in Stetson's 3-2 victory over Jacksonville. Conde has found the back of the net against West Florida, Presbyterian, Lipscomb and Jacksonville this season, with Stetson winning each of those four matches.

His five goals have come on only 19 attempts, giving him a .263 shooting percentage, while nearly half of his shots have been placed on target.

While Conde leads the Hatters in scoring, Stetson's offensive production continues to come from throughout the roster.

Eleven players have scored at least once and 14 different Hatters have recorded a point. Perez sits second on the team with eight points on three goals and two assists, while Fontaine and Blanco have five points apiece.

Restrepo, Mills, Manning, Benjamin Donato, Pall and Junior Essengue each have four points. Israel Daniels has yet to score but has made his impact as a distributor, leading Stetson with four assists.

Stetson has totaled 20 assists on 22 goals, with 11 different players recording at least one helper. That balance has become even more pronounced during the Hatters' recent offensive surge, as nine different players have scored over the last four matches.

As the season has progressed, Stetson has continued to generate its heaviest attacking pressure after halftime.

Twelve of the Hatters' 22 goals have come in the second half, compared with 10 before the break. Stetson has also taken 99 of its 171 shots after halftime, accounting for nearly 58 percent of its total attempts.

The Hatters hold a 99-78 advantage in second-half shots over their opponents and have generated 35 of their 63 corner kicks after the break.

That trend has been particularly noticeable during the current offensive stretch. Stetson scored three times after halftime at South Florida, received the eventual game-winner from Essengue shortly after the break against Jacksonville and then got both of Manning's goals in the second half Tuesday against Florida Atlantic.

Even when Stetson has had to chase a result, the Hatters have continued to create chances late, something that could again become important Friday night.

Florida Polytechnic comes to DeLand with a 6-5-1 record during the program's inaugural season of competition.

The Phoenix enter Friday on the heels of a 1-0 victory over Florida Memorial, bouncing back from a narrow 3-2 setback against Saint Leo in their previous outing. Florida Poly opened its inaugural campaign with three consecutive victories and has continued to build its identity throughout its first fall on the field.

Florida Poly began the season with wins over Thomas, Florida College and Webber International, scoring 10 goals while allowing just one across those first three contests. The Phoenix have also earned victories over Warner and Trinity College of Jacksonville, while their lone draw came against New College of Florida.

The Phoenix are led by head coach Clay Roberts, who brought extensive experience to the new program after spending more than a decade at Southeastern University in Lakeland. Roberts became Southeastern's all-time winningest men's soccer coach while guiding the Fire to multiple NAIA National Championship appearances and conference titles.

Friday presents a unique matchup for Stetson against a first-year program that has already played a full slate of competition throughout the state of Florida. The Phoenix have shown the ability to keep matches tight, with their most recent victory coming by a single goal.

Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET Friday at the Athletic Training Center in DeLand, Florida. Stetson's Senior Night ceremony will begin approximately 30 minutes before kickoff.

Live coverage information and live statistics will be available through GoHatters.com. Stay up-to-date on all things Stetson Men's Soccer by following the team on social media or by visiting GoHatters.com for the latest news.