The men’s soccer team finished their season 7-7-4, with four graduating seniors and two graduate students showing tremendous growth and leadership. Each one of them delivered a valuable and significant element to the team on and off the field. From organizing team lifts and talking in the halftime huddle to working with coaches and setting an example for other players, the class of 2024 has clearly left their mark on the program.

Ben Deeming – Midfielder

Over the course of three incredible seasons as a Lion, Ben Deeming played in 50 games, scored three goals, dished 11 assists, and had 2,330 minutes of playing time under his belt.

Deeming joined the team in 2021 as a sophomore, due to his freshman season being lost due to COVID.

“We struggled a lot with our results in 2021, yet they [Deeming and Thomas Chuaqui] were so hungry and essentially weren’t taking no for an answer,” said Head Coach Liam McKersie. “[They were] very impactful voices on and off the field…I think their mentality to really push against what the norm had been, which had been fighting uphill to compete in the NEWMAC, really helped push us over the top last year…”

Aaron Tyler – Defender

Aaron Tyler was a steady and composed player throughout his 42 games and scored one goal, three assists, and played 3,036 minutes over the course of his three seasons as a Lion.

According to sophomore defender Kyler Maira, Tyler was a key player and always put in extra effort and time for the team.

“That’s just not their [Tyler and Cameron Arendt] personality to be super leaderly. They both played the majority of the games and were some of our key players in the season…They weren’t so leaderly but they helped us so much on the field that it was great. They did more than what they needed to do,” said Maira.

“[Tyler is a] really, really quality player. Very, very steady, calm, and composed. Unbelievable teammate,” said Coach McKersie. “His steadiness pushed us and the program to new heights.”

Thomas Chuaqui – Forward

Throughout his 47 games and three seasons as a Lion, Thomas Chuaqui scored six goals, five assists, and played 1,860 minutes over the course of his three seasons as a Lion.

Chuaqui, alongside Ben Deeming and Aidan Ferguson, were in the team’s leadership group and served as captains for a number of games.

“They [Deeming, Chuaqui, and Ferguson] excelled both on the field and off the field…Organizing the team, making sure everyone stayed focused, making sure everyone was on the same page. They were the ones talking at halftime in the huddle, they were the ones helping people out with tactics, and really, they did a great job,” said Maira.

Cameron Arendt – Defender

Over the course of his three seasons as a Lion, Cameron Arendt played in 14 games and played 787 minutes on the field.

Coach McKersie said he was so proud of Arendt for his ability to work through an injury in 2021 and bounce back for his last two seasons.

“This year was definitely his best college season,” said Coach McKersie. “[He was] one of our most important voices on the field.”

Tristan Bevan – Defender

Graduate student Tristan Bevan played in four games and logged 66 minutes on the field over the past two seasons.

Bevan walked onto the team last year at the end of pre-season and was able to jump right into what the team had already established.

“The team had kind of already set its foundation so it’s impressive that he was able to come in at that point and have such an impact on the team with his workrate and leadership, his ‘happy go lucky’ yet hard working attitude that he brought,” said McKersie.

“In the off-season, he’s always organizing team lifts and motivating people…He loves soccer the most out of anyone on the team and because of that, even though he wasn’t able to get on the field as much as the other ones, he was still able to hugely impact the team,” said Maira.

Aidan Ferguson – Midfielder

Over his four seasons on the team, fellow graduate student Aidan Ferguson played in 65 games, scored three goals, had two assists, and 4,757 minutes of playing time.

“I think his workrate, character, and leadership all had an impact on the program. Him individually—being able to come in and grow as a player so much—and I think his workrate set an example for so many people around him to follow,” said McKersie.

Ferguson also earned 2023 NEWMAC Second Team All-Conference Recognition.

“He did very well this season and he was our only player to get that award,” said Maira.

Class of 2024

Coach McKersie placed special emphasis on the class of 2024’s resilience and strength within the past few seasons.

“This group came in and had three different head coaches…they’ve seen a global pandemic, they’ve seen a team come in last place in the conference, they’ve seen a team get all the way to the NEWMAC finals…I don’t know if there’s any group that any of the staff or the team would rather go through each of those moments with,” said McKersie.

The numerous challenges this group of seniors and graduate students have faced is a testament to their individual and group resilience and strength. The undergraduate students on the team have exceptional examples to follow for years to come.