By: Hunter Dierlam

Another successful season has come to a close for the Men’s Soccer Program here at West Virginia Wesleyan College. Rookie head coach and alumni Josh Spencer led the program to an overall record of 7-8-4 and 5-7-4 within the Mountain East Conference (MEC). 

A program that has had historic success was able to reach the MEC playoffs on Tuesday, November first, as they traveled to Wheeling University to take on the number 4 seeded Cardinals. A goal in the first half of play was enough to see the opposition seal the victory as the game ended 1-0. On the bright side of things, the program had four players land MEC end of the season honors. Graduate student defender Luis Diaz as well as senior striker Emre Turk Deniz had outstanding seasons, earning all-conference first team awards. Freshman midfielder Sam Newell made his presence felt during his first season with the team, earning him all-freshman team and all-conference second team awards. Lastly, Junior midfielder Hunter Dierlam put up a strong campaign, earning him an all-conference honorable mention.

After the Bobcats playoff loss, I had the opportunity to sit down with Junior defender Chris Irakoze and Luis Diaz (mentioned above) about the season. “I enjoyed every bit of it” said Irakoze, “I thought every game we played with passion and heart, something we lacked a bit last season.” Diaz added “the group of guys that coach brought in this year were really fun to be around on and off the field, which makes it all the more enjoyable for the entire team.” When I asked Irakoze what his favorite moment from the season was, he mentioned “the news we received regarding our spot in the playoffs and how excited everyone was to be a part of the tournament.” The MEC rules committee decided to change the playoff format from four teams, to six, which allowed the Bobcats to sneak in at the five seed. Diaz mentioned he really enjoyed “just being around the guys all season, the bonds that you build with one another is always special.” 

As Wesleyan looks ahead to their spring season and beyond, the future for the program looks to be in safe hands. “They did not look nervous or scared at all during the course of the last three months” said Irakoze when talking about the freshman class. Diaz went on to add, “The soccer program here at WVWC is only going to get better with coach Spencer at the helm and the connections he has with recruiting outlets around the world. There will be a lot of talent within this program for years to come. 

While the season did not finish exactly how the guys envisioned it would, it was nothing short of successful. While they enter the holiday break well rested and ready to go, the spring season for this program will surely involve early mornings, lots of conditioning, and a multitude of hard work.