By Dom Langello
Coming off a CCC Championship in 2023, head coach Devin O’Neill and the Golden Bears men’s soccer squad look to make another run. Starting the season hot with a 3-1 win against Brandeis University, their record currently sits at 3-6-3 since they began the regular season on August 30th. That said, the team knows that regular season success does not determine their postseason success if you can take care of conference opponents.
The Golden Bears are faced with a difficult schedule as they sit today with less than half of the regular season to go. They have played the likes of nationally ranked (12) Babson College and 5-2-2 Wesleyan University. I asked Coach O’Neill how playing difficult opponents like these can prepare his team for postseason success. He says, “The difficulty of our schedule has tested us greatly and I think has accelerated our development. I hope that those experiences will help us as we progress through the conference schedule.” His response explains how they were able to become conference champions last season while doing so with a sub-.500 regular season record. They had a similarly difficult schedule in 2023, playing tough opponents like No.2 ranked Williams College at the time and finishing their regular season 6-7-7. Western New England University’s men’s soccer team is no stranger to matching up with tough opponents on the pitch. I also asked Coach O’Neil what he thinks the team needs to improve on and what he thinks the team has been especially good at so far through the season. He said, “If we can find a way to score more consistently, we will be a very tough team to play against. I have been very pleased with how hard our team is playing so far this fall.” Western New England University is known around the league for their defensive effort, averaging 1.5 goals given up per game. They are keeping themselves in games with their defense. You must assume that these tight games will start going in the Golden Bears’ favor down the later stretch of the season.
Sophomore midfielder Matty Leonard reinforces the defensive theme of the 2024 Golden Bears men’s soccer squad, emphasizing that Coach O’Neil continues to apply defensive pressure when asked how this year’s team compares to last. “We played a more defensive style last year because it worked best with the guys we had on the field. This year, we are still staying focused on our defensive responsibilities, but we try to press and get on any team that we play,” Leonard said. As different, younger players start to make their way onto the pitch and seniors graduate, there are always style adjustments with different personnel. However, the Golden Bears plan to continue to lock it down on defense and pursue another CCC championship.
While defensive pressure is an effective aspect of winning soccer games, team morale and chemistry are also essential to having a winning program. When asked how much the camaraderie plays into the success of the team, Leonard says, “Our chemistry is everything when it comes to success. As each day goes by, the team gets more connected. We stay together through wins and losses, and that’s what I believe will matter towards the end of the season.”
The sky truly is the limit for the 2024 Western New England University men’s soccer team. With Head Coach Devin O’Neill’s leadership, the boys will look to finish their season strong and make another playoff push this November. Be sure to check out wnegoldenbears.com to find out the next time the squad hits the pitch because you do not want to miss the rest of the season.
