ERIE, Pa. – Laker Nation comes alive on Friday as the Mercyhurst College football team returns to the practice field in preparation for the Lakers' 30th season. 

Ninth-year head coach Marty Schaetzle welcomes 37 returning letterwinners, including 12 starters, along with 37 freshmen to the first day of preseason practice. 

The coaching staff will conduct 24 sessions, including four two-a-day practices, that are open to the public. All practices are on the Mercyhurst campus at Tullio Field. 

Mercyhurst will face seven teams with winning records a year ago, including three teams that played in the NCAA Tournament in national semifinalist California, Edinboro and Shippensburg. 

The Lakers open their 30th season on Aug. 28 at Notre Dame College. Mercyhurst then has a bye-week before traveling to Kutztown and C.W. Post on Sept. 11 and 18, respectively. Kickoff against the Golden Bears is set for 6:05 p.m., with the Pioneers slated for a 1 p.m. start. 

Headlining the 2010 edition are five returning All-PSAC West selections, led by first-team honorees Fred Hale and Tim Herbener. Hale earned his first conference honor after a breakout season in which he ranked seventh on the team in total tackles (41) while finishing second in tackles for loss (13) and sacks (5.5). Herbener returns to captain the defense from his middle linebacker position after a breakout season for him as well. Returning from a red-shirt year in 2009, Herbener led the team in tackles (87), tackles for loss (16) and sacks (6.5). He ranks 29th all-time with 180 tackles and is approaching the top 15 in sacks and tackles for loss. 

Second-team honorees in 2009 include Bryan Boyce, Ian Wild and Julius McCormick. Boyce ranks tied for 19th all-time on the Lakers' charts with 211 total tackles and measures 13th in tackles for loss (28) while also looking to crack into the top 15 all-time in sacks. A CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Second Team selection, Boyce finished tied for seventh on the team with 41 stops and posted a tackle in every game, including his season-high of 11 stops against Slippery Rock. 

Wild recorded a sensational sophomore campaign to earn his first conference honors, and in the classroom he was rewarded for excellence as well, receiving CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Region Second Team honors. He missed just one game with an injury and finished second on the team with 74 stops, including 50 solo. He ranked fourth with seven tackles for loss and led the team with two forced fumbles. 

A consistent corner for the Lakers, McCormick has the chance to move into the top 50 all-time tacklers, needing 15 to crack into the club after recording 134 in three seasons. He has played in every game of his career and started all but one and will be looked upon to bring maturity and experience to the youthful secondary. 

On the road for the first three games, the Lakers return home to the friendly confines of Tullio Field on Sept. 25 for the home opener and PSAC West opener against Lock Haven. Also the Lakers homecoming contest, kickoff is set for 1 p.m.