Men's Soccer Triumphant

Jamaal Lewis

The Mount’s Men’s Soccer Team came together and stormed a 2-0 comeback to avoid their first loss. On the Aug. 21 our Mountaineers went to Glenn Warner stadium to face the Navy team and hopefully start their season on the right foot. Last season our Mount men had a record of 3-11-4.

So, this year with new talent, experienced seniors and with a sophomore coach who has a prolific history of winning and changing programs, they aim to tackle this year correctly and reach newer heights than last year. 

Facing a team like Navy the first week is a tough challenge to face. They are also aiming to have a bounce back season and they came out hungry. With their aggressive score first mentality they like to play long and get the ball out in transition. 

Sophomore Jack Kehoe showed off some clutch chops as he scored both of the Mount’s goals in the last 30 minutes of play. His first goal in the 69th minute with an assist coming from senior Graham Dougald, who has an extensive resume himself, and scored his second in true dramatic fashion by a header in the 86th minute assisted by sophomore running mate Luciano Schiaffini. Kehoe was also named MAAC offensive player of the week after his well-deserved and well-timed clutch performance. Starting in 15 of the 16 games played last year, Kehoe has started his year off tremendously already out scoring his previous year. 

On the defensive side of the ball, senior Julian Marcos was battle tested the entire game. Marcos bit the bullet however and played his role efficiently and seriously. Seeing a total of 12 shots, with more than half of them being while they were down. In those 12 shots Marcos saved two of them, not allowing for any lead to widen. For 90 minutes Marcos was locked in and active all over the Mount’s box. 

Defense is a collective effort, and it can’t only be used as a metric to glorify the goalie. In the 55th minute the Navy boys put up their second goal. Little did they know that for the last 35 minutes of the game the Mount would control the tempo of the game.

After that last shot, the boys saw seven more shots and stayed steady throughout the entire thing. The second half was a testament to the Mount’s strong mental fortitude and dedication to the sport. 

Off the field, senior midfielder Dougald, mentioned his goals and hopes for himself and the Mount this season and how he would describe his playstyle. Dougald and Coach Brett Teach came over together to Mount St. Mary in 2024 with a gameplan in mind and a style of play they’ve experienced.

Dougald describes himself as someone who’s very attentive and intentional in his playstyle. “I’m not one of the fastest but I like to play while thinking ...I like to dictate the game and control what I can control.” Against the Navy, Dougald had an assist of his own.

While he’s still aiming to grow and improve, he knows that he can do that here and is pushing himself and his team to go through tough experiences now so it can help them win down the road.