After playing critical roles in rebuilding a program from the ground up, the time has come for the five graduating seniors of the men's soccer team – ARTHUR SOUZA, IRVIN ABARCA, MASOOD PORSA, DONOVAN EERKES-MCCARTHY, and PATO PADILLA – to bid their farewells to the Hilltop. 
 
On Sunday, St. Edward's celebrated the group on Senior Day, leaving only three regular-season games in their collegiate careers before a final postseason push for a conference tournament championship and an NCAA Tournament bid. 
 
Their journeys are similar: lives characterized by the constant presence of a soccer ball at their feet. Their passion and dedication to the game, often inspired by family members and culture, have led them all to the same place, but through different paths. Some transferred in from larger institutions when met with the opportunity to help develop a new program on the Hilltop, while others came in later to pursue their graduate degrees.
 
"I'm super happy I came here," Porsa, who transferred in from the University of Central Arkansas in 2023, said. "I've loved it here; it's a lot more of a tight-knit community. I feel like I had such a big role here – which is exactly what I wanted out of college – so this school has really checked all the boxes for me."
 
The Houston-native suffered an injury right before the start of his first season on the hilltop, which prevented him from playing, but watching his team from the sidelines helped him become a better leader and see where he could help the most. 
 
Since St. Edward's reinstated the men's soccer program in 2023, Porsa, Abarca, and Eerkes-McCarthy have been a constant foundational and guiding force within the team. In a team of 25 freshmen, the trio came in as some of the oldest and the only ones with previous college soccer experience, quickly becoming the cornerstones of a brand-new culture for this chapter of St. Edward's men's soccer.
 
"It was a massive learning process," Eerkes-McCarthy, an Austin-native who transferred from the University of the Incarnate Word in 2023, said. "While the season wasn't great, there was a lot of growth that happened really fast, and you can see that now, just three years in; The team is miles and miles better. As those younger guys are now sophomores and juniors, you can definitely see the impact we had back then."
 
Similar to Porsa's experience, Eerkes-McCarthy also suffered a season-ending ACL tear at the beginning of the 2024 season. Despite the hardships he faced during his recovery process, he thanks the athletic training staff and his coaches for the unwavering support and places a huge emphasis on patience and perseverance, traits that now translate into his presence on and off the pitch.
 
The current graduating seniors also benefited from the expertise of former players Kellen Gullion and JASON LYONS, both of whom had the opportunity to play for St. Edward's before it terminated the program, and they praise them for their guidance and patience with the original team. 
 
"I never saw myself as much of a leader growing up, and to be given this role (of captain) when I got here was a challenge at first," Souza said, referring to his arrival for the spring season in 2024 after two and a half years at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee and his role as a mentor to the younger players. "BY and Corey helped me grow into that position, and Jason (Lyons) showed me what it was like to be a captain. I call him probably once or twice a week to get some advice, and he's been really helpful to me to learn and grow."
 
Their leadership helped support the team, which had only won its last game in its first season, and allowed for an incredibly successful sophomore season defined by exponential growth. Souza's expertise also helped propel the team to third seed in the conference tournament in 2024, and his impact was seen not only in the team's mentality but also on the scoreboard: Souza finished second in conference rankings in goals scored with eight total, including three game-winners.
 
"I came in here trying to grow the mindset and make every session competitive," Souza said. "Making sure that every guy wanted to win every single practice activity and ultimately seeing some of the guys grow shows how much they've matured into really good soccer players and having a lot better mentality and approach when it comes to the game."
 
The change in approach and the glimpse of possibility completely transformed the team. A first year defined by learning laid the foundation for a team now ready to do things "the St. Edward's way," as head coach Brian Young often describes it.
 
"The St. Edward's way, to me, is just doing everything you can as best as you can," Porsa said. "Being respectful, being grateful, and just always being positive. There's a culture now, we want to win on and off the field, we want to win in every aspect of our lives."
 
Developing a winning mentality, trust, and communication through the expertise of the older players are some of the aspects that facilitated the team's success. Different leadership styles from Abarca, Porsa, and Souza have created an environment where players feel encouraged, supported, and motivated to improve with every game.
 
"I'm not as vocal as other leaders, but I get along well with the team," Abarca said. "I try to talk to everybody. If I see that they're upset, I talk to them personally. I like conversing with people on their own to know what's going on and help motivate them."
 
Although the players celebrated the closure of this chapter during their senior day, the job is not finished. Currently with a 4-2-1 Lone Star Conference record and sitting fourth in the standings, the team is fighting for positioning to host a quarterfinal game and make a run through the LSC Tournament.
 
"Closing my chapter with St. Edward's is closing my chapter with soccer," Padilla said, reflecting on over 20 years of playing soccer consistently and finishing his collegiate career, choosing the hilltop as the place to do that. "The hard part will be saying goodbye to the sport, which I don't think I'm ready for yet, but hopefully it comes when we win the national championship."
 
Despite the uncertainty of what will come after this chapter is over, all of these seniors hope to continue to have soccer in their lives to some capacity. Even though each of the players arrived at the hilltop via different avenues, one thing is certain across the board: the Hilltop has become their home, and being a part of the men's soccer program has been the opportunity of a lifetime.
 
"It played a big part in my life," Abarca said. "I wasn't playing soccer for a full year before coming here, and being able to play soccer at St. Edward's was honestly a blessing."
 
During their senior day celebration and as they close their final season, these seniors hope to have cemented a legacy of perseverance, determination, and confidence, leaving the Hilltop behind with the certainty that they're leaving it better than they found it.