On senior days, when schools juxtapose photos of their student-athletes' first season with their last, the stark contrast can be jarring for those who've been around throughout the subtle, gradual transformation wrought by time. 
 
The same effect was in play when center-back JASON LYONS stepped on the pitch at Lewis-Chen Family Field in August for the men's soccer program's first practice since the school disbanded the program in 2020. 
 
Now a graduate student with 15 pounds of muscle added to bring his 6-foot-3 frame, Lyons is one of two players – along with goalkeeper KELLEN GULLION – bridging the gap between this resurrected iteration of the Hilltoppers men's soccer team and the previous one. Both were coming off their freshman season and now return to St. Edward's as graduate students. 
 
"Jason was the first player that committed when we started recruiting to bring the team back," St. Edward's Head Men's Soccer Coach Brian Young says. "He learned a lot his freshman year and was going to be a big part of our defense. He's gotten a lot stronger since then. He's a man now." 
 
St. Edward's opted for as much continuity as possible for a program rebuilding itself from scratch, rehiring Young, who left with the highest winning percentage in program history through his 16 years, and assistant coach Corey Miller while adding assistant Ryan Bonhardt. 
 
"I'm grateful to [School President] Dr. Fuentes and [Associate Vice President for Athletics] Debbie Taylor for bringing the program back and allowing me to resume the position I held for 16 years," Young says. "In the spring of 2020, we had strong results against teams like Richmond College and Incarnate Word. We felt like we had an opportunity to have one of our better teams the next year. Now, we're excited as a coaching staff to resume the work we've put into the program." 
 
The work turned in over these past few short weeks has been strenuous, putting the team through three-a-day workouts during training camp to give a 37-man roster with 25 freshmen a crash course on a program that Young put more than a decade into. 
 
Gullion and Lyons have stepped up to take on the responsibility of imparting the knowledge they acquired from their time at St. Edward's in 2019, trying to import as much of what the program used to be as possible. The duo has done everything from guiding teammates around campus to making clear the coaching staff's expectations for those in the men's soccer program.
 
"Taking 37 guys and getting everyone on the same page is a challenge, but the players have done a good job of learning the system and how I want them to play," Young says. "We scrimmaged against teams with many different systems and improved each match. The guys have devoured film and the information the coaching staff has given them, and hopefully, that comes to fruition on Saturday against DBU." 
 
When everything comes together, the goal is to field a disciplined and organized defense with strict attention to detail of the scouting report and an attack that builds in possession in the middle third of the field and then attacks with numbers. It's an aggressive, free-flowing style that's fun to watch but takes time to master. 
 
With the roster bereft of experienced players, Young emphasized recruiting teenagers with mature dispositions and the ability to process information quickly. 
 
"Normally, the culture is set by older players who we've had for more than a year who can teach the younger players what it takes to be a St. Edward's men's soccer player," Young explains. "I needed players I could trust to be personally responsible with this class. Despite their youth, I believe it's a mature group that will be good St. Edward's citizens."  
 
Young hopes to accelerate the process of rebuilding the program by emphasizing alum involvement more than in the past. 
 
"It was tough for them each fall to see all the other teams competing and not being able to watch your team's games or check the website for scores," Young says. "Many of our alumni still live here in Austin, and I'd like to foster mentorship and career connections with them and see a full house during alumni events." 
 
It might take some time for the program to get up to speed with what those alums are used to seeing. The Hilltoppers were voted ninth in the LSC Preseason Polls. But not unlike Lyons and those freshman and senior day pictures, what they'll see is something new and different with reassuring glimpses of something all too familiar.