By Ephraim Viadex
Last season, the SWAU Knights men’s and women’s soccer teams did something never done before at Southwestern. The Knights competed in the NCCAA Division II, and for the first time in the school’s history, both teams finished in the top 10 national rankings, winning their regional championships, and earning a spot in the NCCAA National Tournament.
In what seemed at first to be a year of rebuilding for the men’s squad, head coach Tristan Olivera led a group of star-studded freshmen to their first winning season (since joining the NCCAA), first regional championship, and first national tournament appearance. Ultimately, the men's squad lost in the first round of the national tournament, but their efforts put them in the record books.
On the women’s side, Olvera and his squad built off a successful 2022 season, where the Lady Knights captured their first regional championship and berthed their first national tournament appearance. Last season, the women’s team advanced to the national championship game, where they, too, fell short of the ultimate title.
With success like that in the previous season, both teams are likely to use their success and their failures as motivation for this season.
“Success raises the bar for performance, leading to higher expectations from fans, media, players, and even us coaches,” says Olvera. He believes they all feel the added pressure to replicate or exceed last year’s achievements, but he tells his players to focus on maintaining a balanced mindset and emphasizes the process over the outcomes.
In the offseason, Olvera sensed the increased motivation and confidence among players. “This positive momentum can be harnessed through rigorous training and maintaining a strong work ethic, ensuring that the team remains driven and focused.”
Lexie Key, goalie, and the only senior on the women’s team, says she's ready to make it back to the national tournament again.
“My main goal is winning it all this year, especially since it's my last year, and we’ve been to back-to-back nationals. I know we can do it again.”
Key emphasized that making it to nationals is not something everyone gets to experience in their playing career, but it's something that has impacted her approach to the game.
Dwight Hudson, right back and one of many star freshmen last year, made comments similar to Key's about the impact of playing in the national tournament. “Nationals made me look at the game differently and taught me how to be calm in high-pressure situations.”
Although Olvera was able to return some of his men’s and women’s rosters, both teams feature a few changes. Despite this, Olvera says his expectations are still high, and there are tools he uses to ensure the teams are still cohesive.
“I addressed this by focusing on team-building exercises and by ensuring that new and returning players had opportunities to bond through drills and team activities.”
Olvera said that he is excited for the new players on his teams and mentions four key players that he expects big seasons out of. On the women's side, some key names to look out for are Amanda Quinones and Cathy Munguia. For the men, Jared Gutierrez, and Luis Diaz, two freshmen.
With the soccer season about to come into full swing, there are many reasons to be excited about what Coach Olvera and his Knights are building in Keene.
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