Vanguard soccer seniors reflect on successes and challenges

As the Vanguard soccer season ends, the seniors begin to look back at their final season and their time at Vanguard on the men’s soccer team.

The final outcome of the men’s soccer team season ended in Round 16 in the national conference. The men’s final score ended with a record of 12-5-2 and 6-1-1 in the conference. During these conference games, the stadium was filled with excitement from the fans, according to senior men’s soccer player Daniel Yo.

“Last game of the season had a lot of energy with the whole stadium being filled. We played a great game with good chances to score. Got unlucky with the goal scored against us and unlucky to not find the next with the chances with created,” Yo said.

As Yo wrapped up his final season on the team at Vanguard, he reflected on some of the highlights from his final season. A few favorite moments were winning the GSAC tournament and hosting Nationals here in Southern California.

Being a senior on the soccer team during his last season of collegiate soccer with his teammates was not easy to part ways with.

“It was different being a senior on the team knowing my soccer career was coming to an end. I was blessed to have had such great teammates this year who were committed and wanted to win as much as I did,” Yo said.

Through the years, he has grown as not only a player, but as a person. Learning how to be a better leader being on the field and off the field was something he took away from being a part of the team over the years. Each year, the team had different personalities, and would incorporate returning students, new transfers, and new freshmen that all worked hard to be a team and kept the mindset of “team first.”

While Yo has enjoyed his time on the team, there have also been some challenges on the way. Whether it would be through tough losses or injuries, its learning to adapt through tough situations.

Something that Yo takes away from being a part of the Vanguard men’s soccer team is the competitive times during practices and in games He explained how he will miss the brotherhood of his teammates and how these guys will be his friends for life.

“One thing I’ll miss is the brotherhood that comes with being on a team. Throughout the years, I got to meet some good people who I know will be friends with till I die. It’s really a family experience when you’re on our team. That’s why during the Alumni game, you see a lot of old players come back to see their old brothers,” Yo said.

Senior soccer player, Jared Gould, explains how some of his highlights from his last season on the team were how unified the team was and how the seniors were able to help lead the team together this year.

“All of us are really close and we felt that we were able to lead the team together verses just one person. I think that went throughout the whole team. This was the first year that I felt like our whole team was really cohesive off the field as well as on the field,” Gould said.

Gould came on the team as a redshirt freshmen year (in other words not playing to save a year of athletic eligibility) and did not play until his sophomore year at Vanguard. He explains how that experience was a little overwhelming for him not playing and trying to catch up once he was out on the field.

“The other guys on the ,they’ve already been through the ringer. They come from different background from other teams, and I felt that I needed to up my game freshmen year and catch up. Over the years with other people around during practices you kinda just adapt to that,” Gould said.

To both of these seniors, this team holds a special place for them. Throughout the years at Vanguard, this team has brought them friends for life and lessons they will take with them forever.