Men’s Soccer Team Claims Victory in Season Finale

By Lauren Vargas

Five days ago, on October 31, 2024, the Cedarville University men’s soccer team suffered a grueling defeat to the Thomas More Saints, their fourth consecutive loss of the season. 

The Yellow Jackets were determined to get a shot at redemption, and Wednesday, November 6, was their time to claim it when they defeated the Saints 2-1. 

The foggy evening ambiance set the scene as the Jackets walked on the pitch to greet their opponents. Although they had lost their chance to compete in the playoffs just days before, they were now on Yellow Jacket turf, and the team was prepared to defend their own regardless of seasonal standing. 

Although the Saints would not give in easily, the Jackets would be the ones walking away with a victory.

But Thomas More came out strong in the early minutes, scoring the first goal of the game. 

Cedarville’s fan’s spirits were high at the 55-minute mark as the Jackets netted a goal of their own, tying the score. However, in a stunning turn of events, a contentious foul overturned the call and sent the crowd into a frenzy. Cedarville was back to square one.

Undeterred, the Jackets pressed forward, evening the score with a shot from midfielder Caleb Knight in the 76 minute.

As the clock ticked, tensions on the pitch rose. Both sides strategically fought for possession of the ball, but neither seemed to be able to pull off a shot.

When a tie seemed inevitable, Cedarville midfielder Jackson Baker risked an impressive 30-yard shot and landed the ball in the top corner of Thomas More’s goal. The score was 2-1, which sealed the victory for the Jackets. Ecstatic energy swept the foggy field as the final whistle blew. 

The hard-fought game against Thomas More revealed a team spirit of determination and sportsmanship, which head Coach Brett Faro expounded upon.

“Our aim has always been to put our best foot forward and to honor the Lord with our play, in the first game, in the last game, in the playoffs, not in the playoffs and to try to get better every day,” Faron said. “That has been our focus.”

The team’s effort to glorify Christ and focus on improvement paid off. Their victory not only showed their progress but also negatively affected Thomas More’s playoff seeding, further exciting the previously dispirited Yellow Jackets. 

“Obviously, it’s a little bit harder when you know that you can’t make the playoffs to get people in that position and get people in that headspace, but I thought the guys did a really good job, and that has been the emphasis,” Faro said.

Lauren Vargas is a freshman biology student with a minor in Spanish, and a sport writer for Cedars. She loves learning new skills to continually sharpen her mind. She also likes to go adventuring, exercise and movie-watch, especially with her close friends.

Photo by Ian Chan