After an impressive non-conference campaign that saw them go 6-1-3, the Case Western Reserve University men’s soccer team entered UAA play with confidence and high hopes of earning a postseason run. But despite their strong start and impressive performances throughout the season, their NCAA tournament dreams came to an abrupt and heartbreaking end on Saturday, Nov. 8 with a last-minute loss to Carnegie Mellon University.
With just 36 seconds remaining in regulation, the Tartans capitalized on a counterattack, slipping the ball past the Spartan defense and into the net. The goal sealed the match, and with it, the team’s chances of advancing to the NCAA tournament.
For the six graduating seniors, the moment marked an emotional conclusion to their collegiate careers. Though the season ended in heartbreak, it was also defined by resilience, teamwork and pride.
“This was one of the best teams I’ve ever coached from a culture standpoint, mentality, training and work rate,” Head Coach Carter Poe said. “Unfortunately, during the UAA portion of the season we simply did not score enough goals to put us over the edge. But I’m very proud of the group and all they put in. At the end of the day, everyone put everything they could into this year, and I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
The Spartans closed out their 2025 season with a 7-5-5 overall record, going 1-4-2 in conference play to finish eighth in the UAA. While the numbers may not fully reflect their efforts, the team’s performance was marked by determination, growth and standout individual achievements.
Fourth-year goalkeeper and co-captain Bradley Winter capped off an outstanding collegiate career with 127 career saves and a program-record 22 shutouts. He was also named to the All-UAA First Team alongside fellow fourth-year defender Phillip Washington. Fourth-year midfielder Camden Larson made his own impact as well, starting 64 career matches (tied for ninth most in program history) and earning All-UAA Honorable Mention honors.
Alongside Winter, Washington and Larson, fourth-years Stephen Vilardo, McLaren Baggett and Ben Collier all saw the field in their final match, each closing a meaningful chapter of their CWRU careers. For these six seniors, their final minutes on the pitch reflected years of commitment, teamwork, and passion that helped shape the foundation of the program’s future.
“The seniors on our team are some of the most passionate, skillful, and inspirational people I’ve ever been around,” second-year forward Amir Awais said. “To say that we have work to do this offseason to fill in their shoes is an understatement. But while that’s all true, I’ve always looked at ‘losing’ something as an opportunity. I am more than confident that our team has a plethora of players that have the character and ability to step into the roles our seniors are leaving behind, and I am excited to witness my teammates’ growth into these positions.”
The Spartans faced plenty of adversity this season. Early injuries to key players tested the team’s depth and resilience, pushing others to step up and fill crucial roles on the field. Offensively, the team struggled to convert opportunities, managing just one goal in conference play—scored by second-year midfielder Ashton McNally in the lone conference victory against New York University.
“Unfortunately, early in the year and then at different points throughout the season, we lost players that were important to the team,” Poe said. “In addition, we just couldn’t quite seem to get our attack going in UAA play. This is a tricky thing because, when things aren’t clicking, players can lose confidence, and then it becomes even more difficult.”
Amidst those challenges, the Spartans welcomed a talented group of nine first-years to the roster. Standout first-year Alex Eby started all 17 games, playing nearly every minute of the season and earning an All-UAA Honorable Mention alongside Larson. The first-year class demonstrated the program’s bright future, showcasing a strong foundation of young talent ready to lead the team in the years ahead.
“Coming into the season with such a large freshman class, even if they didn’t know it, the freshmen were going to have a huge impact on the team’s culture,” Awais said. “We understood that since we were bringing in so many new players into our program, it was essential that they understood our goals and how we carry ourselves right from the start. The warrior-like mindset our freshman class brought to the team fueled everyone’s drive throughout the season, pushing our team to be better.”
Overall, Poe remains confident in the team’s potential and believes they have what it takes to reach the postseason tournament in the future, but emphasizes that it will require greater effort and commitment from every player to get there.
“We just have to keep moving and keep trying to get better each and every day,” Poe said. “We need to focus on ourselves, reflect on the year we had and how we can improve, and get back to work. I very much believe in the players we have, but we need to improve. The competition is so high in the UAA, and we need to make sure we’re developing individually and collectively to get to where we want to be.”
Despite an early exit this season, the team is motivated by this year’s setbacks and confident in their potential to compete for a national championship.
“In our locker room, we have our ‘CASE’ core values above our lockers. It goes along the back wall saying “Character, Attitude, Selflessness, and Excellence.” While each value offers its own contribution to how we uphold ourselves, excellence has always stuck out to me,” Awais said. “The atmosphere of our team throughout these past few months has proved to me that we want to become excellent. Playing with my teammates throughout this season has shown me that we can be excellent. So moving forward, my expectations for our team are that everyone strives for their individual excellence through our offseason and into next season, which will bring our team much closer to our goals of a successful future.”