Cedarville University Yellow Jackets

November 8, 2021

Hello Jacket Fans,

This past week was pretty uneventful from a player standpoint. The win on Tuesday secured a bye for the G-MAC Tournament and a whole week of recovery. The boys played a great game that could be seen in the 3-1 result against Walsh. We held possession for the majority of the game and kept constant pressure on their back line. The boys will travel to Painesville, Ohio this week and take on #3-seed Ohio Dominican in the G-MAC Semifinals on Thursday at 4 PM.

Since the boys had a week to recover, Coach Faro gave us a much-needed day off this past week to regenerate and give our bodies an extra day of rest. This weekend the boys had a watch party as well to build team community and also to see who we would match up against in the Semifinals. Also, we celebrated Coach Faro’s birthday this past week and gave him the nice present of a win and a bye in the tournament. The boys are ready to go and bring the G-MAC title back to Cedarville and hopefully earn a place in the NCAA DII National Tournament.

Until Next week!


November 1, 2021

Hello Jacket fans,

This past week was an important one for the boys. This week had a lot riding on the games that the boys played, in terms of standings in the conference. Thursday the boys traveled to the University of Findlay and faced the Oilers. There were some minor bus troubles on the way there but we arrived safely and ready to play. We dominated the majority of the game with us getting the first goal scored by Jackson Isaacs. Jackson would go on to score again. Findlay proved to be tougher than we thought and the game went into overtime tied 2-2. Findlay was pushing for that winning goal as they were fighting for a playoff spot. We held our ground and in the second half of overtime, Pedro Alvares found acres of space inside the six-yard box and finished the easy tap in to seal the victory for us.

Saturday we hosted Lake Erie College who was sitting at the top of the table heading into that game. We honored all of our seniors on Saturday and we were riding high on the belief that we could win and jump Lake Erie and stand on top of the conference. The game was played at Wright State University due to weather conditions, the boys fought hard but couldn’t find the back of the net. Lake Erie put their chances away and took home the three points which means they won the regular season and will host the G-MAC Semifinals and Final game next week.

The boys have a huge home game on Tuesday against Walsh (5 PM). With a win, the boys clinch second in the conference and a first-round bye in the tournament.

Until Next Week!


October 25, 2021

Hey Jacket Fans,

This past week the boys were on a road trip down south to Tennessee and Kentucky. Thursday the boys had a tough task in the Trojans of Trevecca University. Going into the game the boys knew it was going to be a fight until the end. We held possession for the majority of the game, but we couldn’t find a breakthrough. We kept pushing and it paid off a whole 32 seconds into the second half with a great team goal that Mau slotted into the back of the net. There were no other goals in that game, but the boys held control for the majority of the game and secured a much-needed three points.

Friday we had the day off and a lot of team time. We started the morning off with team training that was fun, but also kept the boys sharp for the game the next day. We had lunch together as a team which was followed by a wildly known team game called Golf. The boys were still very competitive and some guys had a rough day in terms of winning. Jackson Isaacs kept his seat warm the entire time because he didn’t start winning until the last two games and he finally advanced tables. The night ended with a team dinner and a group discussion about team values. The boys got into groups and had to talk about what it means to show these values both on and off the field.

Saturday the boys traveled down the road to Kentucky Wesleyan which would prove to be another tough task. Playing in the rain brings a different level of precision and focus on both sides of the ball. We came out firing with another great team goal finished off by Gui. The boys held their ground and gave nothing to the Panthers of Kentucky Wesleyan. In the second half, Eli put a second goal in to give the guys some breathing room and the opportunity for the guys that don’t normally play to get some minutes. We got six points from a possible six this weekend and secured a playoff spot. The vibes were immaculate on the way back with even a brief moment of Coach Faro singing along with the boys.

Going into this week we have another tough away test at Findlay then we’re back to defend home turf against Lake Erie. The boys are sitting in a good place right now and we hold our own future in our hands.

Until Next Week.


October 18, 2021

Hey Jacket Fans,

This past week was a huge week for the boys. The boys had two hard-fought battles. We traveled to the #21 ranked team in the nation in the Lake Erie Storm. We went in knowing this was a playoff-type atmosphere and was going to be a hard team to play against. In the training leading up to the game, we trained on a smaller field to give us a better picture of what Lake Erie’s field was going to be like. Lake Erie put one in early, but the boys put the pressure on the rest of the first half, and the pressure paid off early in the second half. Andy Volk and Pedro Alvares sealed the game for us with two goals in a matter of minutes after each other. The back line held strong and absorbed all the pressure the Storm threw at us. The game ended 2-1 with a much-needed three points for the standings.

In the second game this week the boys brought it back home to play Ashland. This game was very back and forth with our guys controlling the first half and Ashland controlling the second half. Jared Zacharias had a “Man of the Match” performance by coming up with a couple of huge saves to keep us in the game. We had Ashland on the ropes for all of overtime and it paid off with a shot by Pedro that was saved and followed up by Andy that sent the team and fans into pandemonium and secured another important three points for the team.

The boys will travel to Tennessee and Kentucky for two away games this week that will give us a push going into the end of the season.

Until Next Week!


October 11, 2021

Hey Jacket Fans,

Last week you guys met the last new addition to the team with Jake Johnson. So now it’ll be the news from the past week. This week the guys had two tough home games. Thursday night the boys hosted Findlay in a hard-fought battle under the lights. The boys went up in the first half with a quick throw-in taken by yours truly into Gui Fernandes who took on the defender, cut in, and slotted the ball far post. Findlay would find the equalizer pretty quick and the score was tied at the half. The boys came out firing in the second half and it finally paid off as Victor Pomelli found space behind and clipped a ball into the middle where fellow Brazilian Pedro Alvares headed the ball home to win the game.


The boys hosted Malone on Saturday which turned out to be a little bit more of a battle than the guys anticipated. The guys quickly realized that even though the Pioneers haven’t won a game so far this season they were still a tough task to handle. Jake Johnson found the back of the next early in the second half which was his first goal of the conference season. The Pioneers found a late goal to send the game into overtime. The boys were pushing to find that winning goal in the first half of overtime and we did. Andre Salviano found the ball at the top of the box and placed it top corner where the keeper had no chance of saving it. The boys found a way to get the win, but are looking to improve as we travel to Lake Erie on Thursday which will be a big game for standings in the G-MAC.

Until next week Jacket fans!


October 4, 2021

Hello Jacket Fans!!!!

 

A new week means a new introduction to the team. This is the last new member of the team! Jake Johnson is a transfer from Jacksonville University. Jake offers a variety of skill sets and you do not want to be isolated as a defender when Jake is running at you. Jake is a creative player that can play multiple positions, which makes him a very dangerous player. Jake is coming in as a senior but will be here through the 2022-23 season. We are happy to welcome Jake to the team and looking forward to seeing him grow with his new brothers!

In this past week’s action, the boys traveled to Walsh on Thursday and had a hard-fought battle but unfortunately dropped points and couldn’t hand Walsh their first loss of the season. The boys had to bounce back for the next game as it was our Homecoming Game. The crowd was big and full of energy as we hosted Ohio Dominican. It was a defensive battle with each team giving very little. Andre found the back of the net with a cross turned into a shot as it was a low curled effort towards the net. The boys battled and kept a clean sheet and were able to pull out the W in front of the home crowd. I would also like to point out that the Cedarville Men’s Soccer team hasn’t lost at home since Oct. 23, 2018!

This week the boys will continue this home stretch as we take on Findlay on Thursday (7 PM) then we will host Malone on Saturday (5 PM). We will want to keep defending the home turf and want to get all six points this week as we look to keep climbing the table.


September 27, 2021

Hello Jacket Fans!!!!

 

Another new week means another new player introduce. We would like to welcome Zach “Patrick Mahomes” McDonnell to the brotherhood here at Cedarville University. Zach is an outside back with a great first touch and defender that is hard to dribble past. We also appreciate all the jokes and laughs that he gives the team. Although he might not be the loudest guy on the team, his presence is felt by everyone. Once again we’re happy to bring Zach into this team and watch him grow over the next four years.

This week the team overcame some obstacles and had to take a step back and talk about why we really play this game and what “For Him” means when we say it. The boys were on fire in the first game of the week against Tiffin - a 4-0 win. Freshman Jackson “Jon B” Isaacs has himself a night. Making his first start for the program, he put two in the back of the net. With every goal that went in that game, you could feel the joy and unity among the team. It was a good night to be a player and a fan.

For the second game of the week, we traveled to Ashland, where we had a hard-fought draw. The boys put the pressure on the back line of Ashland but only found the one goal that gave us the draw. Jared Zacharias probably had the save of the year, so far, in overtime that helped us. It was a great team effort and we are getting back to work this week as we travel to undefeated Walsh on Thursday and then our Homecoming Game in a rematch against Ohio Dominican on Saturday. This is a BIG week for the team (now 4-1-1) and we are ready for the fight!!!

Until Next Week!!!!


September 20, 2021

How is it going Jacket Fans?!?!

A new week means another new face for all you guys to meet. This week will be a little different though. We want to introduce you guys to the best team manager in the country Cai “Havertz” Rivers. Cai has been with us for almost a year now and he is a tremendous help and blessing to the team. His role goes from ordering us all food for after games to filming to making sure that our pods are fully charged and ready to go. We can’t say “Thank You” enough to him for all the work he has done for us.

 

The reason for this introduction is not only because he’s worth talking about but also because our man Cai popped the question and is now ENGAGED. Cai and his now fiance Caroline are arguably the cutest couple on campus and they are a joy to be around. We are excited for what the future holds for these two and are ready to celebrate with them.

In other news from this past week, the boys dropped the conference opener 2-1 at Ohio Dominican in a hard-fought battle. The boys are looking to bounce back this coming week with our G-MAC home opener against Tiffin on Thursday and then we travel to Ashland on Saturday.

We are pressing on to become better teammates and better individuals one day at a time.

Until Next Time!!!


September 13, 2021

Hello Jacket Fans,

 

A new week is upon us so that means it’s time to introduce a new face to the program. Coleman “Baby B” Meredith is from the Country Road state of West Virginia. Coleman is a fierce competitor and offers a wide skill set from playing in the middle of the park to rotating to the back line as an outside back. We’re excited to welcome Coleman to the team and we’re excited to see what the future holds for him here at Cedarville University.

In other news, the team had two games this past week, with both being on the road. First, we traveled to California, PA where it was a fight the whole game. The Vulcans went up early in the game, but we were pushing to equalize. Late in the second half, Eli found Sammy in the box, where Sammy found the back of the net. We wanted to find the game-winner in regular time, but we had to wait 42 seconds into overtime where Gui found Andy for the overtime game-winning goal.

In the next game, we traveled down to Asbury, Kentucky where we faced D3 opponent Asbury. We came out firing in the first half by putting five goals in. The second half rolled around and we got to see a few guys make their debuts for the team. The team played hard and played our style of soccer for a full 90 minutes and the game ended 7-2. The best part was we had seven different goal scorers. The vibes were high after the game and the boys had a nice sing-along with some quality throwbacks.

The boys are on the road again this week at Ohio Dominican where we will open up Great Midwest Athletic Conference play. We’re hoping to take what we learned from the non-conference games and apply it to the conference play. The team is full of confidence and we are ready for G-MAC play.

Until Next week!


September 8, 2021

Hey, Jacket Fans!

 

A new week means another new player to introduce. This week we want to introduce Vincent “Vinnie” Anderson. Vincent is coming from the great state of Alaska. He’s graciously taking time away from hanging out with his polar bears, penguins, and pen pal to join us here in Cedarville, Ohio. Vincent is a defender who has a great sense of where to be and loves to put in a good slide tackle. Vincent is majoring in Criminal Justice and we are happy to welcome him to the brotherhood we have here at Cedarville.

A lot has happened in the last week with many of the guys being quarantined and in isolation due to COVID. The team was supposed to travel to Southern Indiana last Thursday (Sept. 2) to open the season up, but the game got postponed due to health concerns. But fortunately we welcomed everyone back and had a full team going into our first first regular season home game against Northwood University on Saturday (Sept. 4).

Our home opener was a nail biter. Northwood was a difficult team to play against. They were very organized and did a good job of making it hard to score. Andy “Parker Time” Volk opened the scoring with a great left-footed volley and we kept trying to push for another one in the first half, but couldn’t find it. Northwood came out and equalized early in the second half. The game would go into overtime, but we fought hard and Mark “Team Dad” Rowan found the back of the net to give us the victory.

This week the team will be on the road for both games. First in California, PA on Thursday (3 pm) then down to Kentucky to play Asbury University on Saturday (4 pm). We hope to continue the momentum we have after the first win this past week.

Until next week!!


August 31, 2021

 Welcome back Jacket fans!!!!!

Hi, my name is Trey McBride, I'll be writing the Yellow Jacket Men’s Soccer Blogs this year.

 

As we all know, a new season means new faces to the program. The first addition to the squad is Jackson “John B” Isaacs, who is from Colorado Springs, Colorado. He is joining a nice group of guys from that area. Jackson is a quick forward that offers a multitude of different options on the field from playing up top as a target forward to rotating out wide as a winger. He has a keen eye for goal and we are very happy to welcome him to the brotherhood we have here on the men’s team.

In other news, we just finished up our run of preseason games and are ready to start the regular season on Thursday when we travel to Southern Indiana. Our preseason games were a good test to see what areas we need to improve on, but also it was a good glimpse of what the fans should expect from the team this year. Although both games resulted in losses, fans could see the high pace and high intensity that we like to play with. In our second preseason game, we were down to sixteen players that were healthy to play as a result of COVID-19, the team showed great desire and grit to play 90 minutes against a UIndy team that was a very tough opponent. Even though the game ended 4-1 in favor of UIndy, the team held strong and showed the ability to adapt to the situation at hand.

As COVID is still looming we have lost some of our fellow team members to the virus and there are many others that are quarantined as a result of those guys.

This week we prepare for our regular season opener in Evansville, Indiana on Thursday then our home opener on Saturday against Northwood at 1 PM. Using what we have learned from the last couple of weeks in preseason we’re hoping to start the season off on a positive foot.

Until next week Jacket Fans!!!


Trey McBide is a junior midfielder major from Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is in his third season with the Yellow Jackets and is a special education major.