Walking by the Lewis-Chen Family Field, Hilltoppers will be delighted to witness an old team’s new arrival. Men’s soccer triumphantly returns this year after being removed from St. Edward’s athletic roster in 2020.
The retirement of the team came as a surprise to St. Edward’s students as well as coach Brian Young, who had been leading the team for 15 years. The COVID-19 pandemic had a strong negative effect on live events and, sadly, the soccer team was forced to hang up their jerseys for three years.
When looking at the roster of players, it is evident that the team has potential challenges ahead of them. Of the 37 players, 25 of them are freshmen. While this does alleviate the problem of seniors leaving behind a vacuum of skill and camaraderie, it poses the dilemma of constructing an entirely new program. Other teams in the Lone Star Conference are coming into the season with the advantage of time on their side. The other nine teams in the conference do not have to worry about team-building or the forming and perfecting of strategy. Our team is not afforded this same luxury. Still, the coaches and players are optimistic about their return to the pitch.
“We’ve been working on our system and I’m hoping for some great games ahead of us,” Young said. “It’s going to take some time, but we’ve got a really good group with us.”
Luckily, the team is not left completely in the dark; they have the help of two former players to guide new recruits. Center-back Jason Lyons and goalkeeper Kellen Guillion are helping to foster the old team spirit.
“When (I was) a freshman (I was) really close with the seniors, so I want to give the new players that same thing,” Guillion said.
In a team sport, it is important that the group operates as a unit, on and off the field. Communication is key in the midst of the match: It determines the success of the team. However, trust and intimacy can be hard qualities to cultivate in a group of 25 recruits. But, the players “have a great connection on and off the field,” Young said.
Soccer is not separated by language or nationality. Although players might refer to the sport with different terminology, the fundamentals are still the same. According to Sports Illustrated, 1.5 billion people watched the 2022 FIFA World Cup final. Current students and alums have expressed similar excitement for our team’s return.
The men’s soccer team played their first game on Sept. 2—their first official match since 2019. Dallas Baptist University went home with the win from that game with a score of 3-0. The Hilltoppers are set to host the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs on Thursday, Sept. 7.
