The weather this fall has been incredible! While we certainly miss our three juniors currently studying abroad in Copenhagen and Australia, they鈥檙e doing well, staying active, and making the most of their experiences. Since we began practicing on September 3, I鈥檝e been excited by the development and energy within our group.

• We鈥檝e added four first-year players who are already making an impact.
• The team has been focused on building our all-court game, and I鈥檝e been especially impressed with the progress in our volleys and transition play. The improvement over the past month has been outstanding.
• Our student-athletes are working hard in the weight room, and our returners came back from the summer looking strong and prepared.

Competition Highlights

• Final Fall Event: We’ll close out the fall on October 25 at Bryant (Division I), which gives us another great target to train toward.
• Middlebury Invitational: We opened the fall season at the Middlebury Invitational, facing strong competition and gaining valuable insight into areas for continued growth. The long trip also helped strengthen team bonds. Despite a few early injuries, we took advantage of the opportunity to get everyone involved in match play and saw steady progress from Saturday to Sunday.
• ITA Championships: We played excellent tennis here despite some narrow losses in both singles and doubles.
• Wallach Invitational: This was our best showing of the fall and the strongest performance at that event in several years. Our athletes鈥� maturity and confidence continue to grow, and it鈥檚 been inspiring to watch.

Focus: The Mental Game

I recently came across a great quote from mental coach Bob Rotella, who referenced Mark Twain: 鈥淭he inability to forget is far more devastating than the inability to remember.鈥� Rotella emphasizes that elite athletes master the ability to 鈥渇orget鈥濃�攖o move forward quickly after setbacks. Our players are embracing that mindset. Even when outcomes don鈥檛 go our way, they鈥檙e learning to process tough matches productively, focus on what went right, and trust that the results will come through consistent work. This team is resilient, fearless, and committed to improving a little bit each day. Our goal is to 鈥渢rust our training and let it fly鈥� in competition while continuing to be solution-based鈥攏o excuses. 

We strive to find a way – NO MATTER WHAT!   

Spring Travel News:

We鈥檙e excited to be heading back to Florida this winter from February 12鈥�19. If you鈥檙e in the area, we鈥檇 love to see you!

• Training Location: USTA National Campus in Lake Nona.
• Scheduled Opponents: St. Leo University, Rollins College, and Florida Southern College.

Your generosity over the years has made this invaluable training trip possible, helping us cover essential expenses such as travel, lodging, court time, and meals. Thank you again for your continued support鈥攊t means so much to our program and our student-athletes.

Facilities & Upgrades:

A huge thank-you to everyone who has supported our PlaySight Video System project over the past five years. It鈥檚 been a tremendous success, allowing our athletes to review matches and enabling 乐播传媒 Tennis to livestream all home contests.

• Technology Upgrade (PlaySight to SaveMyPlay): This summer, we successfully transitioned to SaveMyPlay, a platform used by the USTA National Campus. This upgrade:
  • Offers AI features to automatically clip highlights.
  • Gives us higher-quality video.
  • Significantly reduces annual costs.
  • Includes 12 new cameras for Merrill Gym and the Wallach Tennis Center.
• Court Repairs: We completed important repairs in August. Maine Tennis and Track addressed major cracks using the Armor Crack Mesh system and repainted the front four courts and courtyard, while the back courts were pressure-washed.

We redirected funds originally set aside for new bleachers to prioritize these court repairs and extend the facility鈥檚 lifespan. The Wallach Tennis Center, now 25 years old, has withstood many Maine winters, but it鈥檚 nearing the end of its resurfacing cycle. We鈥檒l continue working with the college to plan for future upgrades in the coming years.

Recruiting News:

Looking ahead, our projected 2026 incoming class could be one of our strongest in more than a decade. We鈥檒l share more details once the admissions process is complete this winter鈥攂ut the future is bright!

Go Cats!

Paul Gastonguay
Head Men’s Tennis Coach 

Welcome, Class of 2029!

We are excited to welcome a talented group of first-years to the team this fall. Each of them
brings unique energy, experiences, and perspectives that will strengthen our program and our
community.

• Rodrigo Chon Him 鈥� Santa Ana, El Salvador
• Parker Davis 鈥� Baltimore, MD
• Oscar Hecker 鈥� Westport, CT
• John Kim 鈥� Bellevue, WA
• Tommy Le 鈥� Portland, ME
• Tanish Tangri 鈥� Malvern, PA
• Albertine Gingrass 鈥� Denver, CO

We are eager to see the impact this group will have as they begin their 乐播传媒 journey, both on
and off the court.

Season Schedule & Save the Date

Our full Men鈥檚 and Women鈥檚 schedules for the 2025鈥�26 season are now live:

Please mark your calendars for our big rivalry weekend:

• Friday, February 6 鈥� vs. Bowdoin at 6 PM (Senior Day)
• Saturday, February 7 鈥� at Colby at 3 PM

We would love to see many of you there as we celebrate our seniors and continue one of the great rivalries in NESCAC squash.

Supporting the Program

As many of you know, last season was a challenging one with the coaching transition, and fundraising did not reach its full potential. This year, your support is especially meaningful. FBA dollars directly enhance our team鈥檚 experience鈥攃overing critical operational needs and making it possible for us to travel and recruit at top events, including the U.S. Open in December and Junior Nationals in March, both in Philadelphia.

We also want to provide the best experience possible for our players during competition. At Nationals this year, we hope to stay close to the Arlen Specter Center in Philadelphia, where the event takes place. Last season, the team had a great experience staying near the venue, and we know being close helps our players compete at their best.

If you would like to , please select Women鈥檚 and Men鈥檚 Squash as your designation. Thank you for being an important part of this journey.

Go Bobcats! 🐾

I hope you and your families are doing well, and enjoying the summer! Life has been busy in Lewiston for the Men鈥檚 Soccer staff with recruiting, hosting campus visits, camps, and gearing up for the fall 2025 season. We are now under four weeks away from the team reporting back to campus for preseason! Please read more below to learn more about our recent graduates, new Bobcats, alumni engagement initiatives, upcoming season, and much more.

Fall 2025 Schedule 

where you can see game dates and times. We open the season at home on September 3 vs. a challenging St. Joe鈥檚 team, and quickly get into our NESCAC schedule when we travel to Trinity on September 6. I hope to see many of you on the sidelines at Russell Field and at our away games in the fall. There is a palpable energy surrounding the program at the moment, and we have gained significant momentum both on and off the field over the last year. Your presence and support at our games will only add to this excitement! 

乐播传媒 Men鈥檚 Soccer Fan Store – OPEN NOW!

Buy your 乐播传媒 Men鈥檚 Soccer gear before the Fall 2025 season kicks off at our ! 10% of all sales from the store goes to the 乐播传媒 Men鈥檚 Soccer program. The store closes on July 28.

SAVE THE DATES/RSVP | Upcoming Alumni Events

Saturday, September 20: Men鈥檚 and Women鈥檚 Soccer Alumni Weekend 

• Join us on September 20 for a Men鈥檚 and Women鈥檚 Soccer Alumni Game. Dust off your boots, reconnect with old teammates, and support your Bobcats vs. Wesleyan at 2pm! We will have a pregame tailgate and postgame reception for Men鈥檚 Soccer alumni too. 
• RSVP and see additional details. A formal email/invitation will follow in mid-late August. 

Saturday, October 11: Men鈥檚 Soccer @Tufts (12:30pm)

• For our Boston-based alumni, mark your calendars to support the team vs. Tufts on Saturday, October 11. This is certain to be a pivotal game to decide our place in the NESCAC standings. More details will be provided regarding a pre- or post-game tailgate or reception.

FBA Challenge Recap

Thanks to the massive support of our alumni, parents, and friends of the program, we totaled 100 donors and raised $41,060 for the Men鈥檚 Soccer program. This placed us 5^th on the leaderboard in dollars raised among all 乐播传媒 Athletics teams! A special thank you goes out to the classes of 鈥�95 through 鈥�98 and the Men鈥檚 Soccer Alumni Leadership Team for their matching gifts. 

With the money raised, we have already enhanced the program in the following areas ahead of our 2025 fall campaign: 

• PlayerData (GPS tracking devices and vests) were purchased for the program. This will assist the coaching staff in monitoring daily, weekly, and season-long loads, tracking players鈥� physical development, providing further individual feedback for players, and much more! 
• Stipend to retain our 2^nd Assistant Coach– Ibrahim Achekh
• Wyscout (an advanced data and analytics tool) was purchased for the program. This will assist the coaching staff in player and team development, opponent scouting, and recruitment. 
• New training and travel gear for the team
• Nutrition and hydration enhancements in the locker room
• Recovery/Regen equipment purchased for the locker room

We strongly believe that we are building the most professional, competitive, and supportive environment in the NESCAC. We could not continue moving the program forward without your consistent engagement and support. THANK YOU!   

Bobcats Graduated

We had five seniors graduate from 乐播传媒 this spring and start the next chapter of their lives: Tife Agunloye, Simon Clarke, Rex Ah Chu, Henry Kuenstler, and Gerard Costa Farre. These five played an instrumental role for the Men鈥檚 Soccer program, on and off the field, and we wish them well as they transition to life as a college graduate! Read more below for information on their next steps: 

Tife Agunloye: Living and working in Brooklyn, NY as a Sales Representative. Tife is settling into NYC this summer/fall, finding a place to live with fellow 乐播传媒 Soccer grads (Henry and Simon), and looking forward to exploring the city and spending time with friends. 

Simon Clarke: Traveling before he starts work in early August. Simon will be working as a sales representative in NYC and is looking forward to his continued friendship with his former 乐播传媒 teammates and embarking on a new chapter as a 乐播传媒 graduate. 

Rex Ah Chu: Rex has been at home in Dallas, TX since graduation, and has been busy studying for the LSAT (which he plans to take soon!). Rex is also looking for legal work this fall in Portland, ME, Dallas, TX, or somewhere along the East Coast, and recently started a NIL/college sports newsletter with Tife. 

Henry Kuenstler: Henry is back in London this summer and started a new position working remotely at an underdog venture team as a Client Partnerships Intern. In his new role, Henry will be working closely with Max McKersie (鈥�23)! 

Gerard Costa Farre: Gerard graduated from 乐播传媒 after the fall 2024 semester, and has been enjoying traveling, attending some Champions League matches in the spring, and spending time in Spain. Gerard is looking for work in Boston/NYC this fall. 

Welcome to our Newest Bobcats!

The coaching staff has been hard at work and traveling around the country over the last year+ recruiting our 2025 and 2026 classes. We are adding 10 first-years to our team in the fall of 2025, and are thrilled with the quality of player and person that is joining the 乐播传媒 Men鈥檚 Soccer program. Read more below for additional information on our newest Bobcats! (Click each photo to read more about our newest Bobcats!)

Alumni Mentorship Program + How to Support the Program

Mentioned in previous communications and the Spring Newsletter, the 乐播传媒 Men鈥檚 Soccer Alumni Mentorship Program officially launched in February. In the program鈥檚 inaugural year, we had 70 Men鈥檚 Soccer alumni and 30 student-athletes involved. This engagement was fantastic, and we have heard numerous positive stories from mentors (alumni) and mentees (student-athletes) about the connections they have already made. 

If you would like to become an alumni mentor in 2025-26, please fill out the survey below. To stay in touch with the program and connect with former teammates/乐播传媒 Soccer alumni, please join our LinkedIn page and check out the Alumni Database that Aleks Marceau 鈥�19 put together. 

To donate to the 乐播传媒 Men鈥檚 Soccer program, please click this link: . 

Closing Thoughts

The team has continued to impress me over the last year with their commitment to the program, commitment to each other, and work rate on the field, in the classroom (3.75 team GPA in 2024-25), in the weight room, and at early morning speed and agility sessions. The most immediate goals in front of us are the following: 1) Return to campus on August 18 fit, healthy, strong and ready to compete each day with energy and enthusiasm; 2) integrate our 8 seniors back into the team from their abroad experiences last spring; 3) welcome our 10 incoming First-Years into the team with open arms, and show them what it means to be part of the 乐播传媒 Men鈥檚 Soccer team; 4) have a good first training session on August 20. 

I am confident that the identity that we are building on and off the field will result in further growth as a team in the fall 2025 season, and will soon lead to us accomplishing larger goals as a program, i.e., NESCAC playoff berths, NESCAC Championships, NCAA Tournament bids, and playing soccer in late November-December. The continued development of a strong mentality, competitive mindset, selfless/team-first attitude, and team camaraderie, in concurrence with the ability to focus on the short-term goals directly in front of us, will be the process that leads us to these on-field results. 

Thank you, as always, for your engagement and support for the 乐播传媒 Men鈥檚 Soccer program. I hope you never underestimate how important this support is for our continued success as a program. I look forward to seeing many of you at our Alumni Game on September 20^th. 

Have a great rest of your summer, and Go 鈥楥ats! 

Ben Brewster
Head Men’s Soccer Coach
乐播传媒 College