For the second straight offseason, South Georgia Tormenta is overhauling its roster after barely missing the playoffs. 

Only six players return from the 2024 squad that finished in tenth place and four points out of the final playoff spot. While South Georgia was in playoff contention up until the final two weeks of the season, Tormenta only won four games during the regular season, so clearly something needed to change coming into 2025.

“The squad has gone through some big changes,” said manager Ian Cameron. “Last year wasn’t strong enough. That’s not where we want our club to be. We want to contending for things. We  know this club is capable of contending for things and for being at the cutting edge of the season, so we have to build a squad to do that.” 

South Georgia’s regular season will kick off on Friday, March 7 when they host the Richmond Kickers with the match set to start at 7 p.m. Originally scheduled for March 8, the season-opener now will be the first match of the 2025 USL League One season. 

A quick rundown of the familiar faces heading into the new campaign include midfielders Conor Doyle, Aaron Walker and Mason Tunbridge, along with Sebastian Vivas, Callum Stretch and Sam Jones throughout the rest of the field.

“We’re retaining a small group of guys that we think we’d like to build upon what they started,” Cameron said.

Building out the roster has been the focus of Cameron and his staff during the offseason as they have worked to construct a team conducive to the style of soccer they want to play.

“We’re going to be dynamic. We’re going to be faster in the forward area and more powerful, which is something we identified last year that we just didn’t have enough of,” he said. 

Cameron said one focus of the offseason was finding wing players who can play high and wide, taking players on and beating players one-on-one. He said one of the strengths of the 2022 title winning team was the play of their wingers and the past few years Tormenta hasn’t been as strong in those areas.

Goalkeeper is another area where Tormenta is starting over as South Georgia signed one of the top pair of gloves in USL League One in Austin Pack who previously played for Charlotte Independence. He’ll replace the duo of Ford Parker and Drew Romig.

“It’s not easy to go and get one of the best performers in USL One,” Cameron said. “It costs money. And do they want to come play in our market? Do they want to move (up) to USL Championship? But Austin’s put his faith in us. We have a plan for him. We know where we want to get him by the end of the year so that next year he’s the starting goalkeeper for one of the top Championship sides.”

Pack said he believed in what Tormenta was putting together this season as the reason he chose to move to Statesboro.

“I’d met Ian over the years and he told me they were getting a good team together,” Pack said. “I knew some of the guys that were coming back, Conor (Doyle) and Aaron (Walker) and a couple other big pieces. So the coaching staff, the players they’re bringing back, the whole project. It’s going to be exciting.”

In front of Pack will be a rebuilt defense with only one returner from last season in Stretch. Cameron was excited to land both Gabriel Alvies, previously of Rhode Island FC, and Anatolie Prepelita, previously of Chattanooga FC, to go along with Stretch as part of the rebuilt defensive line.

He said he’s been trying to land both players for several years and things just worked out this year to have both end up with Tormenta. Alvies, Cameron said, could have played in Major League Soccer if luck had broken his way, but he’s excited to have such a talented player who will suit Tormenta’s style well.

Prepelita, meanwhile, is expected to be a stalwart in the back line and someone who demands excellence from those he’s playing with. 

“He’s an excellent center back who organizes the game terrifically,” Cameron said.

Doyle, who was a newcomer last season, is expected to play a big part in the midfield. He said there wasn’t a lot that changes for him now that he’s one of the Tormenta veterans on the squad.

“Now it’s being the guy who knows how everything works and being a point of reference instead of being the guy asking questions is the biggest change,” he said.

Doyle has been impressed with what he’s seen so far in practice from the team as they prepare for the start of the regular season.

“The guys are hungry and wanting to play and get going,” he said. “There’s a ton of new guys so it’s just taking in all the information.”

One of the new guys Doyle referred to is midfielder Alon Drey, an Israeli midfielder who signed his first professional contract after playing at Florida Gulf Coast University. He, like many of the new players, are getting settled in and finding their way around Statesboro while also preparing for the season. 

“I’m really excited,” Drey said. It was always my goal to play professionally after college. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time and I’m glad I got the opportunity at Tormenta.”

Drey said the coaching staff sold him on the goals they have for this year. 

“We want to win championships and to finish in first place,” he said. “Also, they want to develop players and I really like (Cameron’s) ideas and his vision.”

Tormenta has a preseason home game on Friday, February 14, at 11 a.m. at Tormenta Stadium and will play their final scheduled preseason game against the USL Championship side Tampa Bay Rowdies on February 19 in St. Petersburg, Fla.