Gaby Harris, asst. sports editor
Berry men’s soccer entered the 2026 season with a championship to defend, but the team taking the field looked much different from the one that captured the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) title a year earlier. The team traveled to Atlanta to take on the hosting Olgethorpe Stormy Petrels on Thursday Nov. 5, winning in overtime 4-2 on penalty kicks. The Vikings ultimately fell to the Trinity Tigers in the second round to a score of 0-2 on Nov. 6.
After graduating several key players from last year’s championship run, the team’s nine freshmen faced the challenge of adjusting to college soccer and finding their roles within an established program. The returning players brought experience from the previous season’s championship run. Since the team welcomed so many new players, there were not high expectations for this season.
For Head Coach Richard Vardy, one of the biggest questions entering the season was how the new players would fit into a program that had already developed a strong team culture. With so many freshmen joining the roster, the coaching staff had to figure out how to combine their abilities with the experience of returning players.
“We had nine new freshmen coming in and we lost a lot of guys last year,” Vardy said. “I didn’t know we’d be as successful as we were on the field, but I knew the chemistry would
be good.”
Berry entered the season facing the challenge of rebuilding its roster, but the Vikings quickly showed they could compete with some of the conference’s strongest teams. Despite the expectations surrounding the team, Berry finished third in the SAA and earned a spot in the conference tournament.
Freshman forward Cullen Maas reflected on how much the team accomplished despite entering the season with limited expectations.
“This year was supposed to be a rebuilding year,” Maas said. “We had no expectations, and to come out and get third in the conference, and to lose in a close game to [#2] Trinity, shows us that even in a rebuilding year, we can do incredible things.”
As the only senior, goalkeeper Cooper Cherry became an important mentor for the younger players. The previous year, he had been part of a larger senior class with seven seniors and two graduate students. This season, he became the oldest player on the roster and one of the main returning voices for a team learning to compete with a younger lineup.
“Being the only senior, people do look up to you, whether you ask them to or not,” Cherry said. “I find that it is definitely more of a lead-by-example position than previous years.”
Despite the change in leadership, Cherry feels like the incoming freshmen brought a new energy to the team, which was helpful because the team wanted to build on the foundation established last season.
“They came in ready to play, ready to learn and ready to contribute,” Cherry said. “It’s really nice to see that fresh wave of energy from young players who are eager to give everything.”
Although Cherry held a different leadership role, he was not the only player helping guide the team. Cherry said the younger players also began taking on responsibilities as they became more comfortable with the program and with one another.
“I didn’t realize it was going to be just me until it was,” Cherry said. “I think our younger guys have stepped up a lot, and I don’t feel necessarily alone in a leadership position.”
A turning point in Berry’s season came during an early road trip to Virginia, where the team faced Randolph-Macon College and Roanoke. After struggling in the opening game of the trip, the Vikings responded with a victory over Roanoke. The result gave the team an early opportunity to measure its progress and recognize what it could accomplish against established opponents.
“We turned around and beat Roanoke on the road, who were a traditionally strong program,” Vardy said. “I think that just gave a lot of answers to questions early in the season.”
For the team’s younger players, competing against nationally ranked opponents also helped build their confidence. Those matchups gave the Vikings an opportunity to see how they measured up against some of the conference’s strongest teams.
“We were getting good results and fighting hard against top 25 teams,” Maas said. “That showed us we can be in every single game this year, no matter who we play.”
For the coaching staff, finding the right combinations on the field took time. Vardy and his staff had to determine where the freshmen fit within the team’s formation and how the different pieces of the roster worked best together. Those decisions became part of the team’s development throughout the year.
That growth was especially important for a team following a championship season. While the returning players had experienced the expectations that came with winning the conference, newcomers were still learning what it took to compete in the SAA. These different experiences gave the group an opportunity to develop its own approach rather than imitating the previous season’s strategy.
The final standings reflected the progress Berry made. The Vikings finished third among the conference’s nine teams, earning a place in the postseason after navigating a season filled with new players and adjustments.
“To finish third out of nine teams is a really good season for us,” Vardy said. “For this young group to just keep pushing and growing throughout the season and make the tournament, while finishing third, was a good achievement.”
Each game leading up to the tournament gave Berry another opportunity to evaluate its performance, address areas that needed improvement and build on the things that were working. As a result, the team was able to unify by playing through mistakes and learning lessons in preparation for the tournament.
“I think we found a good identity,” Vardy said. “We’ve figured out how we want to play on the field.”
Heading into the postseason, Berry understood the importance of finishing the season without regrets. The team’s goal was to compete at the highest level and leave knowing it had done everything possible to achieve its goals.
“We want to be able to say that we played the way we play and that we did everything we could in our power,” Cherry said. “If we don’t win, we want to say that we gave it everything that we had.”
Berry entered the SAA tournament as the No. 3 seed on Nov. 5. After defeating Oglethorpe in an overtime first-round matchup, the Vikings faced a quick turnaround before taking on Trinity the following day.
“We would have liked to have Thursday’s game back,” Mass said. “Going into overtime really influenced how we played the next day because of how tired we were.”
The Vikings’ tournament run ultimately ended with a loss to Trinity in the second round. The result closed the season short of another championship, but the Vikings’ progress throughout the year gave the program a foundation to build on.
Although the season did not end with another conference title, returning players brought lessons from the previous championship run, while the freshmen gained experience that can help shape the program moving forward.
Beyond the results, the season also brought together players who had entered the year with different levels of experience. As the roster spent more time together through practices, games and team activities, those relationships became an important part of the group’s identity. For Maas, the connections formed throughout the season were among the most meaningful parts of joining the program. The relationships between teammates helped create a sense of belonging as the freshmen adjusted to a new level of competition.
“I would say the brotherhood we have is what made this team so special,” Maas said. “We’re not just teammates, we’re family too.”