Written by Keira Sieber
The Mount Union Area High School soccer team saw their season come to an end following a loss to Westmont Hilltop on October 21. While they had hoped their season would last longer, the team’s accomplishments this season were a major step forward for the program.
The team ended the year with a record of 6-12, the same record as last year, but unlike last year, the team made the district playoffs. This year marked the first time in school history that the Mount Union soccer team made it to districts.
The Mount Union coaches and players worked hard to make their first appearance in a district playoff tournament, a goal they have been working towards for years. While they ultimately achieved their goals, the season was not without difficulties and challenges. The biggest challenge facing the team this season was the loss of four senior players from the previous season, which made up almost one third of the team’s 2024 roster.
Going into the team’s final regular season game against Fannett-Metal, the team knew that if they came away with the victory, they would make history as the first Mount Union soccer team to make it to district. Unfortunately, Mount Union suffered a 3-0 defeat to Fannett-Metal and met after the game thinking their season was over.
It would not be until the following day that the players heard the shocking news. Despite the loss, they had managed to still make it into the district playoffs. The team would go on to lose their first-round matchup against Westmont Hilltop, but no matter the result, the 2025 roster will go down as the first playoff soccer team in school history.
While their record remained the same as it was during the 2024 season, the Mount Union soccer team played much better than last season, especially against more experienced teams. As the season went on the team worked harder and excelled with the help of motivational and tactical coaching.
The team ended the season in fifth place team in their district, and third place in their conference. Among the highlights of the 2025 season was the team starting their season off with three-game winning streak. Individually, Jamon Rank had the most shots on goal and goals for the Trojans this season. Junior starting goalkeeper AJ Scott led the team in saves for the year.
The Trojans will go into next season losing their five seniors from this year’s roster. This year’s senior class was made up of Joshua Neely, Jacik Hess, Kamden Beatty, and Caden Feather and Avin Knable will all. Although they will be losing five of their veteran team members, the team will continue to strive and work hard and look to keep their momentum from 2025 going into the 2026 season.