No. 11 Tiger Men's Soccer returns to the Paul to open the 2025 season.
Last Season
The Trinity Tigers men's soccer team had a dominant 2024 season, finishing with a 19-1-3 overall record and going unbeaten in SCAC play. Combining a high-powered offense that scored 75 goals with a defense that allowed just 12, the Tigers captured both the SCAC regular season and tournament championships. Ranked as high as No. 13 nationally and No. 1 in their NCAA region, they hosted the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament but ultimately fell at the sweet 16 hurdle, losing 2-0 on a cold and windy afternoon in Middlebury, VT, to the formidable Babson College. However, the season still showcased several standout performers. Forward
Adam Knutson (Dripping Springs, Texas / Dripping Springs), the team's leading scorer and SCAC Offensive Player of the Year, and forward
Hunter Cain (Katy, Texas / Cinco Ranch) each earned First Team All-Region honors, while midfielder
Louis Instrall (London, England / Hampton School) was recognized as a Second Team Scholar All-American and First Team All-Region selection. At the back, defender
JonConnor Rule (San Antonio, Texas / Johnson) anchored the defense and was honored as a United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-American, First Team Scholar All-American, and First Team All-Region pick. Together, these achievements highlighted a season defined by balance, depth, and championship-level consistency, marking one of the most successful campaigns in recent program history.
This Season
The Tigers open their 2025 campaign at
Paul McGinlay Field against Claremont on August 29th and host St. Thomas (TX) on August 31st. The action returns to Paul McGinley field on September 5th for a match with Schreiner, followed by Kalamazoo on September 7th. Their conference schedule begins on October 3rd against Olgethorpe. The Tigers will close out their regular season schedule against the Southwestern University Pirates on November 1st.
Trinity will return some key pieces from last season's campaign. Defensively,
Luke Chandler (Glasgow, Scotland / Balfron) will head up the backline. Knutson and
Zach Anderson (Davis, California / Davis) will be orchestrating the midfield while
Samuel Theiss (Boerne, Texas / Boerne) will be leading the line and looking to improve on his 12 goal involvements from last term.
United Soccer Coaches & SAA Poll
Off the back of a sweet 16 finish for the tigers, United Soccer Coaches have given the tigers a No. 11 national ranking coming into this campaign. Current national champions Amherst College occupies the top spot, while opening weekend opponents Claremont are ranked at No. 17. In the conference poll, the Tigers have been selected as the front runners in this upcoming season, placing 1st ahead of last year's SAA champions Oglethorpe University, and fellow SAA newcomers the Southwestern Pirates in 4th.
Preview Opening Weekend
Trinity will open their 2024 schedule on Friday, August 29th against Claremont at 8:00 PM. After a day break, they will then be back to play former SCAC foes St. Thomas University in a rematch of the 2024 SCAC Championship final on Sunday, August 31st at 6:00 PM.
On the Claremont College Stags: The 2024 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Stags men's soccer team had an impressive season, finishing 16-4-3 overall and 8-3-1 in SCIAC play. They went unbeaten at home (10-0-2), won the SCIAC Tournament, and advanced to the NCAA Division III Sweet Sixteen. After losing some key members of last season's squad, a few standout players returning include All-SCIAC performers
Shaan Malik,
John Laidlaw and
James Gomez. Notably the Stags had success in the 1st round of the national tournament against upcoming SAA opponents Oglethorpe, defeating them 2-0. Historically the Tigers are 5-4 against CMS.
On the St Thomas University Celts: The University of St. Thomas men's soccer team concluded the 2024 season with an overall record of 11–6–2 and a conference record of 6–3–2 in the SCAC. The Celts demonstrated strong performances throughout the season, including notable victories such as a 3-1 win over Concordia University and a 6–1 triumph against the University of the Ozarks. Their efforts secured them the fourth seed in the SCAC Tournament, where they faced top-seeded Colorado College in the semifinals, and came out on top with a 2-0 victory. Despite a valiant effort, the Celts' journey ended with a 4-2 loss to the Trinity University Tigers in the championship match, concluding their three-year streak as conference champions. After losing some key members of last season's squad, most notably 1st team All-SCAC performer Daniel Castro, a few standout players will be returning including 2024 SCAC honorable mentions Tony Castro, Hani Ahmadie and Aldo Hernandez. Historically the Tigers are 5-5-2 against the Celts.
Up Next
The Tigers will host Schreiner University on September 5th and Kalamazoo College on September 7th.
