Kashmala Khan ’29
Managing Editor
For Trinity men’s soccer, the opening of the season has already offered a little bit of everything: a tough loss to No. 1 ranked Tufts University, a win over the University of Hartford, an impressive 2-0 victory over Saint Joseph and, most recently, a close 2-1 defeat to Williams.
Though the results may be mixed, the Bantams have already begun to showcase the kind of team they aim to be.
On Sept. 9, the team travelled to the University of Saint Joseph and returned with a 2-0 shutout victory. After a scoreless first half, Sebastian Martinez-Moule ’30 opened the scoring in the 53rd minute, burying the ball into the back corner of the net. Matthew Mcleod’ 30 further ensured the victory by scoring in the 76th minute with a left-footed strike into the upper corner. For both the players, these goals marked the first of their collegiate careers.
This was a particularly encouraging result for a team that has recruited a sizable group of new players. In an interview with the Tripod, senior captain Jack Murphy ’27 discussed how the newcomers have fit into the team seamlessly.
“We have an amazing group of first-years and transfer students,” Murphy said. “As we continue in the season, we will only get better.”
That chemistry is something Murphy sees as central to the team’s identity: “We have added not only great players, but great guys as well,” he says.
Indeed, the cohesion was visible in the Saint Joseph win, where both goals came from first-year players. Murphy credited the coaching staff’s preparation and mentioned that the team was able to execute the game plan throughout the match. Trinity also controlled the numbers, outshooting Saint Joseph 22-6 and earning 15 corner kicks.
For a team seeking to establish itself early on in the season, the win stands to be more than just another mark in the results log.
“It was a great steppingstone for us as we continue to strive for our goals,” Murphy said.
Those goals are not modest. Murphy asserted that men’s soccer are competing for both the national and New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) championships.
However, that ambition will require more than one strong performance and Saturday’s matchup against Williams College provided an early test. The Bantams fell 2-1 to the Ephs in Hartford on Sept. 12, which was a narrow defeat against a team that entered the game ranked No. 10 nationally.
The loss suggests that Trinity now has an early-season record that reflects both the promise and difficulty of its schedule; still, Murphy does not seem interested in treating the Saint Joseph victory as a high point in itself. “It is important to expect to win and then to win,” he said.
That expectation is perhaps the biggest shift Murphy hopes to bring as captain. Having been with the program for the past two seasons, he said the team has collectively placed a greater emphasis on discipline and detail in its preparation for the fall season.
There is still plenty for the Bantams to figure out: Murphy pointed to experience and the ability to adapt to adversity as the team will continue to develop over the season.
Still, the early signs are encouraging. Men’s soccer has already shown that it can rebound, defend and generate opportunities, while its newest players have wasted no time in making an impact.
The Bantams will now look to carry that energy into the rest of the season. For Murphy, the expectation is straightforward. “A team that will play with passion and energy every single game,” he said. If the opening weeks are any indication, Trinity will have plenty of opportunities to show exactly what that looks like.
