The inaugural North Shore Invitational, hosted by Gordon College and Endicott College brings a bevy of talent to the North Shore of Boston.
 
On September 4 and 5, the Fighting Scots and Gulls will host Calvin and Utica for a two-game, classic-style tournament. Gordon hosts Utica on Friday night at 7 p.m., while Endicott matches up with the Knights in Beverly. On Saturday the two visitors will switch locations to complete the weekend. Gordon and Endicott are both members of the Commonwealth Coast Conference, and will play each other during the conference schedule later in the season.
 
No. 16 Calvin College Knights (0-0)
Grand Rapids, Mich.
 
The Knights are the top-ranked team in the tournament, coming into the weekend with a No. 16 national ranking in Division III. In 2014, Calvin won the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) title against Kalamazoo to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament. After a first-round win over Rose-Hulman, national semifinalist Ohio Wesleyan edged Calvin in penalty kicks to knock them from the second round.
 
Calvin finished the 2014 season at 18-2-3, with their only two losses coming against North Central and Wheaton (Ill.) in the first week of the season. They lost two of their top three goal scorers from a season ago, but bring back junior midfielder Stephan Hooker (Hudsonville, Mich.). Hooker totaled 25 points last season, including 11 goals and three assists. He also had the highest shooting percentage on the team of any qualified player.
 
Goalkeeper Niko Giantsopoulos (Markham, Ontario) will anchor the Knights in the back after pitching 12 shutouts last season.
 
Utica College Pioneers (0-1)
Utica, N.Y.
 
The Pioneers match up with Gordon for the first time in program history on Friday night. A season ago, Utica went 7-9-3 and bowed out of the Empire 8 Conference tournament in the first round against Ithaca.
 
They return a majority of their roster from 2014, including standout senior Shane Ruffing (Rochester, N.Y.). He led the Empire 8 in scoring last year and is among the elite names listed in the Utica record books. Endicott and Gordon will also have the contend with the likes of Bita Gazashvili (Tiblisi, Georgia), the defending Empire 8 rookie of the year, after he led the conference in assists.