No. 5 ranked University of Indianapolis men’s soccer team’s season came to a close with a loss to Maryville University on Oct. 28 in the GLVC tournament. The team had 12 wins, four losses, and two ties. This season, there are nine seniors that will be leaving the team.
According to senior back Bryan Davis and senior goalkeeper Miles Palmer, they have both enjoyed their time on the team and are not ready for it to be over. Head Men’s Soccer Coach John Higgins said he has appreciated coaching the seniors, especially because they know the program, which has made the season more successful.
The men’s soccer team has performed very well this season by winning over half of their games and consistently being nationally ranked, according to Higgins. The team had a higher average of goals scored per game than seasons in the past.
“We’ve actually been ranked every single week in the top 25 this season,” Higgins said. “…We’re well recognized in the nation now, so it’s really nice to have that respect among the other teams in the nation to know that we’re constantly in that top 25.”
On Oct. 21, the soccer team held their senior night, which was the team’s last home game of the season. The Hounds defeated Missouri University of Science and Technology 2-0, scoring a goal in both halves. Davis said that the game had a different feeling because it was his last home game.
“You’ve played four years of college soccer and it’s finally coming to an end,” Davis said. “It’s a bittersweet moment where people say thank you for all that you’ve done for them, so it was very meaningful and fun to be out there with the team.”
There was a large turnout of students, family, faculty, and some alumni at the senior night game to support the seniors and the team, according to Davis. Palmer said it was very exciting to be involved in because he, along with the other seniors, were able to feel special for the evening.
“All of the seniors got to play, which for me is really important,” Palmer said. “There are players that don’t always get to necessarily play and they’ve been here the whole time, so it was great to give back to the players that don’t get a lot of time over the years. They’re still a part of the program and a huge contribution to why we’re so successful as well, so it’s nice to honor them since they’re all my friends as well.”
According to Davis, the most memorable moment of his soccer career was the first time he was able to put on that jersey and represent this program. Along with that, he was able to have a sense of pride in everything the program is about and what he was finally being able to do.
According to Palmer, his favorite moment of his soccer career was winning the GLVC championship last year with under a minute left in the game. He scored his first goal representing UIndy in that game and won that championship with all of his teammates.
Even though the team did not win the GLVC championship this year, they still had many accomplishments, including scoring more total goals in their regular season than they have since 2014. The players will continue to train during the off season to prepare for next year.
