STU Tommies soccer back for another exciting year

The Men’s Tommies kick off their 2025-26 soccer season with 11 rookies on the team. (Credit: STU Athletics)

St. Thomas University men’s soccer fourth-year centre back Samuel Choinière said it was great to win the ACAA championship against the University of King’s College last fall.

“The two years before that, sadly, we did not win … but last year, after two years of disappointment, we finally won, " he said.

He added, “It was an amazing, amazing feeling.”

This year, Choinière believes that the team has a target on their back due to losing multiple players, meaning that other teams think they won't be able to keep the same standard as last year.

“But we like playing with the pressure and they give us motivation,” he said.

There are 11 rookies joining the team this season, with more than half the team being first or second-year students. 

Choinière said it’s sad to lose old teammates, but it also creates opportunities for new members and players who didn't get much playing time last year.

“I think we know we have the weapons to reproduce the season we had,” he said. 

Having a new coach will change their approach to the game. They had a more direct and aggressive playing style last year under coach John-Ryan Morrison. With the new coaching staff this season, the fourth-year centre back said they will try to be patient and retain the ball more. 

Miles Pinsent, this season’s new coach, has been impressed with the skill and commitment of the team so far. 

Pinsent acknowledges Morrison’s success and doesn’t want to turn his back on the “foundations” that the team was built on.

“The team contains a number of strong, well-rounded players and I believe we have all of the pieces to be a very complete team. This should allow us to experience success in a number of different ways,” he said.

Choinière didn’t want to jinx himself when asked if they will repeat as champions this year. He thinks that the aim right now is to compete hard in every game.

“The minimum objective is to make the playoffs and after that, compete as much as possible … the objective of every team, of course, is to win the championship.” 

Hancock is entering her third season as a Tommie. (Submitted: Delaney Hancock)

Like the men’s team, the Tommies women’s soccer squad has been eagerly waiting to play again. 

Last year, they missed the playoffs by a single point. Third-year winger Delaney Hancock thought they had a lot of potential.

“We were way more competitive than we had been in my first year, but just had some little mistakes along the way,” she said.

Like Hancock, Coach David Itoafa agrees that some games could have gone better, but that it was an improvement on previous seasons.

Itoafa thinks that the sour taste left by missing the playoffs has motivated players to come back fit and work hard in training.

“So there's always a positive as well, even when things don't go your way,” he said.

Hancock believes that they learned the importance of playing a full game as a team and not having a lapse in focus. When they were playing their best, they were close to the top of the standings.

As a co-captain, Hancock aims to set the standard for her teammates and to give advice to new members.

“We work together to figure out how to put in extra work and time to make the experience as good as it can be for the whole team and to push our team or kind of set the best example we can,” she said.

For the last few years, they had a younger team. Now, with a more mature group, they have more experience in their league. 

Hancock said the team’s ball possession has gotten better and their movement off the ball is stronger than it has been.

Itoafa said they focused on defending in training camps. He hopes that they will be tight and disciplined defensively and not let plays in.

When asked how she expects the season to go, Hancock said that she anticipates they will be competitive and take it game by game. She added that they wouldn’t get too down on themselves either, as they’ve struggled with that in the past.

“We're expecting every game to be really competitive and a challenge, but I think we have the group this year to make the playoffs,” said Hancock.

Itoafa added, “Sometimes we get too worked up …  so you know, for us this year, it's all about let's make the playoffs and go from there.”