On Tuesday, Oct. 10, the Mounds View Boys Soccer team lost their first section game in a harrowing 0-6 defeat to Champlin Park — a disappointing end to another seemingly disappointing season.

From winning state in 2021 to not making it past the 1st round of sections the last two seasons, it’s clear to fans that the boys soccer team is in need of a redemption.

Making it to state was an immense success for the team because they had not won since 1977. Unfortunately, last season, the team lost some of their best players and has struggled to be competitive for state since. Nevertheless, the boys are working towards improvement.

This past season they attempted to focus more on their “family” dynamic in hopes of improving their performance and achieving success as a closely-knit team. “We were like a family, we always had each other’s backs, regardless of the game, and we had to defend each other,” said senior Jammes Garcia. 

Even with these efforts and a strong start to the season, the team eventually lost their undefeated status in game five to Park Center. “I feel [the loss] really pushed us down […] especially since we had a 4-0 record. You know, we were undefeated, and then just losing a game like that […] it’s just unfortunate,” said senior Seba Gallegos Guadarrama. After that loss, the boys began to lose the motivation that had led their earlier victories. “We acted like we lost a game before we even started it,” said sophomore Everett Wynn.

Throughout the season, the team struggled to develop any real sense of consistency. “We had 4 formations through the season and never stuck to one,” said junior Dane Peterson.

In the end, the team never returned to their early season success. “I was surprised because we had the players to make it far. We just didn’t pull it off,” said senior Captain Oliver Elias. As the team looks ahead to next season, they understand the road to improvement begins with a shift in attitude. “The team spirit could be helped so much by people’s attitude on and off the field,” said Gallegos Guadarrama.