By Ella Grady, Guest Writer

Friday Night Lights ensued for the last time this fall for Xavier men’s soccer. On Nov. 7, the squad put their season in the books with a 1-1 draw against Big East foe DePaul University Blue Demons at Corcoran Field. 

The Musketeers’ regular season finale also brought upon the emotions of Senior Day, as Fabrizio Bernal de la Garza, Cooper Forcellini, Gabe Kuffel, Jonny Mennell, Ryan Sullivan and George Waites were honored for their contributions to the program in a pre-game ceremony 

“I would tell my freshman self to smile more and enjoy all of the moments to the fullest. College sports is such a beautiful thing and you get to have a family away from your family. I am so incredibly lucky to have been able to play for such an amazing team for four years. It sounds cliche to say, but it really does fly by fast. I could not have asked for anything more from Xavier Soccer and I wish I was more appreciative of all of the smaller moments during my time (here),” Kuffel said.

Kuffel, a senior goalkeeper from Blaine, Minnesota, had many roles during his time with the team, most notably starting four games straight this fall, receiving Big East Goalkeeper of the Week honors after his first career start and shutout at home against Siena College on Sep. 14. 

Regardless of the outcomes on the field, Kuffel’s collegiate career was fulfilled by a cause much greater than athletic performance. 

“One word that I would describe this year’s team would be passionate. Every person on our team gave it their all from the beginning until the end,” Kuffel said.

“We have a lot of young players on the team who are eager to learn more about how they can contribute to the program. The level of care and love on this year’s team was really special. It was clear and obvious the strength of relationships and there was a level of trust that surpassed the term teammates”, Kuffel said. 

“I really liked the culture and the bond that this team had throughout the season. This is a great group of guys to be around and a fun group of guys to be around. We didn’t get the results we wanted, but I felt like a lot of the guys really wanted to get better every single day, and do the hard work required to be a successful college soccer team. A good team culture is something that is very important to us and we believe that it is an important aspect of a successful team,” graduate student defender from Houston, Texas Ekene Okeke said. 

Okeke’s fifth year with the program came to an end alongside the senior class, but over his tenure on the roster, last week’s season finale was one of his favorite memories. His teammate, Ryan Sullivan, a senior goalkeeper from Cincinnati, was able to record his first collegiate minutes on Senior Day. 

“Getting to watch Ryan Sullivan make two huge saves, in the last game of the season, at home, on Senior Night, as a senior. Training with Sulli for four years, I’ve got to see the quality that he has, but he was never able to display that in a game. To watch him come onto the field and make an impact was a great feeling. Everybody within the team as well as the supporters that came to watch really enjoyed that moment,” Okeke said.

The future holds great promise for the Musketeers, as the majority of their young roster should be set to return in August 2026.

“I hope that the Xavier Men’s Soccer team will continue to work as hard as they can every single day for each other. To continue to love, care, and sacrifice for each other and to remember that no one person is bigger than the team. I really hope and believe that Xavier Men’s Soccer will be wildly successful in the coming years and with the amazing coaching staff, it is more than possible,” Kuffel said. 

Xavier’s final statline for the 2025 season sits at 5-4-6, finishing 1-4-3 in the Big East and fourth of six in the Big East Midwest division.