With heads full of worry about the finals, men’s soccer faces their biggest final of them all: their journey to the Lone Star Conference (LSC) playoffs. Securing third place among other highly ranked universities like St. Mary’s University and Midwestern State University, the Hilltoppers have had an incredible comeback season in comparison to last year.
Graduating members of the team were celebrated at their last pre-playoff home game against the Dallas Baptist University (DBU) Patriots, before heading off to one last game against the West Texas A&M University Buffs ahead of the quarter finals. The seniors, who have spent years shaping the program into what it is today, even after it was cut, were honored for their resilience, leadership and commitment to the Hilltopper soccer legacy.
“We’re going to miss their leadership, but I also think they’ve taught the younger players how to balance life, soccer and work,” head coach Brian Young said, adding that many of the team members balance jobs with their athletic commitments to fund their education and day-to-day life.
One of the most notable achievements of this year’s team has been the growth in maturity and focus.
“Overall, our group has matured way more than I would have expected, even coming in from last year. We were losing a lot of games and not getting the results we wanted,” Todd Fuller said, a senior who transferred to St. Edward’s after the soccer program was briefly cut. “With 25 new freshmen, it was very hard for us to be a mature team, because everybody was so young. Even the guys that were freshmen last year and sophomores now, they’ve become more mature, which has been helping them teach the newer freshmen. That’s the kind of thing that you can pass down. I think the team has done a good job of becoming more mature and focusing when we need to focus, but then it’s still having fun when we have the chance to have fun.”
For Fuller, this season represents the conclusion of a chapter that was interrupted when the soccer program was cut in 2020. His return has been a full-circle moment for him, and he credits the welcoming nature of the team and the coaching staff for making him feel at home.
“I was committed here out of high school, but then the program got cut right before I came here. It was a shock,” Fuller said. “I only had a couple months to find a new school. So honestly, it was kind of like panic, and then I ended up finding UT Tyler. I went there for three years, and then once I heard the program was coming back to St. Edward’s, I wanted to try it out again. It came back kind of full circle, and I am really glad that it worked out, and really glad that I was able to come back. From the coaches to the guys on the team, everything felt right here.”
Fuller, Jommar Reyes, Jacob Madden and others have been creating a standard of expectation for the program. After having an unsuccessful past season, the seniors took it upon themselves to become leaders and rebuild the culture.
“It was all about setting that standard,” Reyes said. “That’s what we took pride in, both on and off the field. If you’re going to be a silent leader, or if you’re going to be the guy that’s screaming at everybody, you have to be able to work hard yourself so that other people will listen to you when you try to teach them.”
Trips to Hunt Hall, team-bonding before 6 a.m. practices and the overall joy of winning has helped the team create bonds that were never there before. Players have started spending time with each other in and out of the locker room and field.
“Last year was kind of hard — we were losing a bunch of games or not getting the results, and a lot of people were frustrated, myself included.” Fuller said. “I think a lot of the guys took stuff personally, and the relationships weren’t always there. But I think that’s one of the things that I’ve been pleasantly surprised with. I feel like this year, the whole team is united, and guys are willing to do stuff for other people that they weren’t willing to do last year or even last spring. I think that’s helped us a lot with guys enjoying being around each other more and enjoying working hard with each other, that’s been a huge part of our success. Being more intentional with the time that we are putting in with each other and focusing on becoming closer and building relationships in that time.”
One of the most unique perspectives on this year’s team comes from graduate assistant Kellen Gullion, a former player who has transitioned to coaching after the program’s revival. Gullion, who had initially been devastated when the program was cut, has since embraced his new role with enthusiasm.
“Coming back as a graduate assistant has been an amazing experience,” Gullion said. “I get to be involved with the team, but from a different angle now. I’m helping the coaching staff with the keepers, running sessions and also doing the behind-the-scenes work like recruiting and organizing. It’s been a great transition. I think my skills as a coach have really come into play. I can advocate for the players to the coaches, but I also understand the players’ perspectives, and that’s been a huge asset this season.”
Gullion was committed to St. Edward’s and played keeper his freshman year in 2019 until the program was cut the spring of 2020. He spent some time at Regis University in Colorado and came back to Texas and graduated from DBU. He was offered the chance to play on his home turf for one more year after the team was reinstated in 2023.
“I’ve definitely created relationships,” Guillon said. “That’s something that’s pretty unique. Change has been pretty easy for me, so it’s easy for people to come in and out of my life, and I feel like it’s been really hard having to cope with the fact that I will be leaving and going back to Oregon, and these people won’t be in my day-to-day life.”
The seniors have experienced their share of challenges, from the uncertainty of the program’s future to the growing pains of rebuilding. But, as Reyes points out, it’s all been worth it.
“We’ve worked so hard. We were at the bottom of the conference last year, and now we’re fighting for second place in playoffs*,” Reyes said. “We look at last year’s season, where we were last place in the LSC and won one game, to where we are now. That kind of growth is what makes all the tough moments meaningful.”
As the team prepared to head into the LSC quarterfinals against the The University of Texas at Tyler Eagles — which resulted in a 2-1 win and a semifinal ticket for the Hilltoppers — the message from both the players and the coaching staff was clear: keep pushing.
“We need to take care of the little things,” Gullion said. “Mentally, we need to be sharp, and physically, we need to stay organized. The coaching staff has done a great job of preparing us, and as long as we execute the game plans, I’m confident we’ll do well.”
As the seniors prepare to graduate and move on to the next chapters of their lives, there’s a deep sense of pride in what they’ve accomplished. The culture they’ve helped build is now ingrained in the program, and it’s a legacy that will continue long after they’ve left the field.
“We’ll miss their leadership, but they’ve set the foundation for the next group to continue to grow and thrive,” Young said. “They’ve given a lot to this program, and hopefully, the younger guys will carry that forward and teach the next wave of players how to be not just good soccer players, but good people.”
For the graduating seniors, the road to the playoffs is a fitting final act, but their true impact will be felt for years to come — both in the soccer program and in the lives of their teammates. The lessons they’ve imparted, the relationships they’ve built and the legacy they leave behind are what will truly define their time on the hilltop.
As the Hilltoppers continue their playoff push — now facing the MSU Mustangs once more, after SEU had an amazing 5-0 regular season win, at the semifinals in San Antonio on Nov. 15 — one thing is certain: the program is stronger than ever, and it’s ready for whatever comes next.
*At the time of the interview, the Hilltoppers were about to face off against West Texas and awaiting results from Midwestern State University.
