This 2024 season has been up and down for the men’s soccer team. The guys have played six games in the past few weeks, four of which were in the Little East Conference. Because they influence standings and whether a team will qualify for the playoffs, these games are crucial for teams. The Spartan men are currently in sixth place on the leaderboard and are hoping to move up as they play.

On Oct. 2 they matched up with Keene State at Dave Wolk stadium. It was a tense showdown and ultimately led to a 1-0 loss. The Owls secured victory early, by netting the only goal in the 14th minute. The match was a fierce battle, particularly in the second half, where the Spartans dominated possession and outshot Keene 10-0. Despite several close attempts, including a near-miss from first-year Jacques Alfani in the final moments, the Spartans couldn’t find the back of the net, leaving them frustrated as they searched for an equalizer.

The Spartans then defeated Eastern Connecticut State University 1-0 on Sunday, marking their first Little East Conference win after an intense match.   In the eleventh minute, Tanner Curtis scored the game-winning goal after Adolphe Alfani’s shot rebounded. In addition to ending Castleton’s eight-game losing streak, this victory was the program’s first ever against Eastern Connecticut. 

Both teams recorded eight shots in the evenly contested match. Xander Berthiaume, a rookie goalie, had an outstanding game, saving all four of the shots that were on goal for his second shutout of the year. Liam Cramer and Wyatt Robbie drove the Spartans’ defense, which held firm as Eastern Connecticut tried to equalize, allowing Castleton to win. 

“We believed that overall, we played strong defense and cut down on their opportunities in front of goal. We had excellent defensive communication in the second half, which prevented them from capitalizing,” Wyatt said.

In-between playing Plymouth, the men played Paul Smiths College and VTSU Johnson. They emerged victorious in each of these games, which weren’t particularly challenging for them as a team.

The team lost to Plymouth State 2-1 in Little East Conference game on Saturday in a tightly fought match. The panthers scored the game-winning goal in the 73rd minute to give them their first conference win. Plymouth dominated the first half of the match at Arold Field, taking eight of their 13 shots before the end of the half. Xander Berthiaume, a rookie goalie, made a number of important saves that kept the score tied as the teams went into halftime. 

Despite the Spartans’ excellent second-half performance, Plymouth broke the tie in the 54th minute with a strike into the upper left corner. Alfani took advantage of a deflected shot from Toby Ritzkowski in the 61st minute, moving past a defender before firing home to equalize, prompting a swift response from Castleton. Castleton tried for a go-ahead goal as they gained momentum. But just twelve minutes later, Plymouth’s goal changed the momentum, giving the Panthers the victory and left the Spartans reeling as they continue their conference quest.

To finish off this weekend, the men gained a 3-0 victory against UMass Dartmouth in a strong effort at Dave Wolk stadium on Saturday in Little East Conference action. Twenty minutes into the game, Matt Spiller gave the team the lead with a strike into the top-left corner of the goal after Adolphe Alfani had set him up. 

Junior Matt Spiller said that 

“This goal gave them just what they needed to set us up for our second LEC win of the season,” said junior Matt Spiller. “We hope to continue this so we can make playoffs this year!” 

The Spartans kept up the pressure, and Castleton led 2-0 at the half thanks to a goal from first-year Nate Wood, who was assisted by Jacques Alfani. Seth Dube took advantage of a one-on-one opportunity in the second half, and the drive continued. With 35 minutes remaining, a Corsairs defender was sent off for a foul, stripping UMass Dartmouth of a player. With just over 30 minutes left, the Spartans swiftly capitalized on their numerical advantage when Dube scored again during a breakaway, increasing the lead to 3-0. 

JP Maul took over in goal with 14 minutes remaining in the game.