MAXIMILIANO ACOSTA / ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

USD became the first WCC men’s soccer program to win four consecutive conference titles. Toreros secured their title by defeating  10th ranked Oregon State by a 4-2 final score, despite losing against Grand Canyon University in the NCAA Tournament, on Nov. 23. 

USD sophomore No. 13, Iain Wagner, celebrates on the field. Photo courtesy of @usdmsoccer/Instagram

Due to the single-elimination component of the NCAA, their postseason run came to an end. Their finish is an impressive accomplishment which places them among the nation’s strongest programs. 

Previously, USD entered the season  with  a  No.  3   ranking   in  the nation,  according to the  United Soccer Coaches Poll the Toreros  put  together a 7-1-1 record in the WCC,  drawing a tie  with  Santa  Clara,  and losing to Portland on their home field.

  The  Toreros  took   advantage  early  in  the  game, with  USD senior and midfielder Josh Martinez’s free-kick goal. Following this momentum, there were three  goals in the  second half.

   With the post-season coming to a finish, it  also  means  seniors’ college careers also come to an end. Martinez had to fill in a different role by playing center back instead of  his primary position as a midfielder. 

His performance this year granted him an All WCC Honorable Mention. Being a part of the group of 11 seniors who now have four rings, highlighted his point of view from the last four seasons and how the team has developed.

   “The way I play I like to have the  ball and play longer passes,” Martinez said. “And at center back that was a lot of the job so I stepped in there. Especially because Owen Walz and Ethan Warne, who played center back next  to me, were very helpful. As a team I think our depth  was  unparalleled  and  really  any  guy  on the roster could step up and play a role.” 

  Martinez also commented on how the team has grown during his time at USD.  

    “I  think  the one thing that was consistent over all four years was our emphasis on wanting  our team to be a family,” Martinez said. “Coming in my freshman year, our team was  not following up a  great  season, and the team was very new and very young. This season, we felt we  were proving ourselves to the rest of  the  country  that we are a top 10 program in the country.” 

      USD   sophomore   Mathias   Bauer  added   how   one  of the main reasons why he sees his team improve every year is because his coaching staff strategically schedules games with top teams before the season starts. 

  “In the beginning of the season it was all about finding the rhythm again,” Bauer said. “We managed to win hard games against tough opponents, and that gives the whole team experience and confidence. Playing those early games, being part of that, reinforces what’s possible and just makes you want it even more.”

  San Diego had nine student athletes  who  were  selected  to the  leagues  All Conference Team, from first team, second team and  all WCC Honorable Mention  Selections. Brian Quinn, Torero head coach since 2018, also earned the conference’s Coach of the Year award. 

On his coach profile on the USD Athletics website, he states what his intentions are.

  “It’s a place where I feel like being a coach, it’s more like a vacation,” Quinn said. “I want to leave USD a better place than when I started.” 

   This type of a mindset could actually  be  the  difference  between the winning and losing team. And when it is consistent across the team, it is a literal game changer.

  Iain  Wagner,  a  USD sophomore, was nominated for WCC  Offensive Player  of the Week in Nov. and  went  on  to earn All-WCC First Team honors by season’s end. In the game against Grand Canyon, Wagner attained his ninth goal of the season.

  Building upon Bauer and Wagner, USD sophomore and wing back Luka Fava pointed to how the WCC Conference is a much harder conference than the nation believes it to be, and how it felt to win. 

  “We had a moment when we got back to the hotel that I will never forget,” Fava shared. “We didn’t have a locker room at the field so we went back to the hotel still in our gear, and we all rushed into the indoor pool and jumped in with our entire kit on. It was super special and it’s a moment we deserved to have and many of us will never forget.”

  Fava described what keeps him motivated despite the high pressure from fans, coaches and his team. 

   “Time flies by when we are in season so there is not much time to dwell on the last game or last practice, so it is very motivating to know you have the next day to be better and the next game to improve on the last every week,” Fava said. “I try to put in the maximal effort to help the team be successful because for me there is nothing better than seeing and hearing all the happiness and joy around the locker  room  and  team  post  win.”

  Fava continued to reflect on the differences between this year and last, emphasizing that despite the changes, this tight-knit group has yet to skip a beat because of the great additions that fit the tone of the team.  

    “Being  on  the  road  together  has helped our team grow and build even stronger bonds between us all,” Fava said. “I feel like our coaches did an immaculate  job setting up a great schedule of games for us, which allowed us to play teams that are at the top of their conference, which in the end, helped us build a great RPI (Rating Percentage Index) up til the last game of the season, where we ended up in the top five teams in the nation.”

   As  the season comes to a close, Fava seems to not be worried about what is to come because the  culture  and  the  energy  that the seniors have brought to the table has been actively passing down the underclassman. 

   “It will be different next year since a large group of the guys who set the culture are seniors and will be leaving us, but they have laid the foundation for us,” Fava said. “And there is a junior class who has won three years in a row and my sophomore class, now two years in succession, so we have the experience and understand  what  it takes to carry on the success of the program.”  

  Despite USD losing in the NCAA  round, USD   men’s soccer  hopes  to  build  on  their  four year  win  streak and  use the   accomplishments  they  have achieved so far to go further in NCAA conference play. 

USD men’s soccer beat Portland to win the WCC this year. Photo courtesy of @usdmsoccer/Instagram