By: James Whiteford
As the spring semester comes to a close, so do the sports seasons at Bellarmine University, including men’s soccer.
The men’s soccer team faces Lipscomb University April 3 at 7 p.m. for its last regular season home game.
For the seniors, this symbolizes the end to their collegiate career.
The team plans to honor its senior class before the game. Seniors will walk onto the field with their parents, and will receive a framed photo of themselves to commemorate their four years with the program.
These seniors have been a big part of the team’s success over the past few seasons.
The team has a combined record of 42-14-8 over the last four seasons and was able to bring home a GLVC conference championship in 2019 for the first time since 1989.
“I am proud to have been on a team that finally brought home a GLVC championship,” senior defender Eddie Williamson said.
“I realized early on that I was very lucky to join the team at such a great time because we had such an abundance of talent in the squad, and everyone was willing to put the work in together to achieve something on the field,” he said.
Said Head Coach Tim Chastony: “[The seniors] have made a tremendous impact from a coaching standpoint. All of them have been really contributing players on the field with their play but have also been good student athletes.”
These seniors have had the opportunity to grow and have some words of wisdom and leadership for the rest of their team.
“Always be open to new experiences,” senior defender Jonas Skulstad said.
Said Williamson: “Enjoy every moment of the four years you get to play collegiate sports and never leave anything out on the field.”
Williamson and Skulstad also said they were thankful for all who have helped along the way.
“I am thankful for all the amazing teammates I have had the pleasure of playing alongside during these four years…they have all contributed to the success of this program,” Williamson said.
Skulstad said: “I am thankful for the coaching staff and the great support from the full athletics department.”
These seniors also helped with the transition to Division I athletics, Chastony said.
“They had a lot of success on the field last year, so I think that really helped in regards to that transition.Their leadership and their play on the field have made us successful so far this year at the Division I level,” he said.
For more information about the team’s postseason conference tournament schedule, visit athletics.bellarmine.edu.