With a final record of 10-0-9 in the regular season, the 2025 Haverford men’s soccer team finished their season undefeated for the first time since 1945 and made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2019 as the third seed in the Centennial Conference.
The team was coming off of an unassuming 2024 season where they finished with a record of 2-11-5. Despite this, the team was eager to start off the new season strong. Senior captain Kieran Kunihiro voiced the thoughts of the three captains, saying that “despite the difficulties of the previous season, there was a unanimous belief among the team that our young and determined returners would work hard to turn things around.” And turn things around they did.
The Fords kicked their season off with a draw against Arcadia, but at halftime it didn’t look like they would make it to that point. Down 0-2 with 45 minutes to go, Kunihiro described the team’s mental state: “Everyone’s body language remained positive. Everything stated at halftime reflected the belief and perseverance we worked to embody as a core value during the off season.” It was only their first game, but the Fords had set a precedent for the rest of the season: they were not backing down in the face of a challenge. “I feel like [that] moment was evidence of what we believed we were capable of as a team and we then carried that same attitude into the rest of the season,” said Kunihiro.
The Fords continued on to secure their first win of the season on September 3 versus Immaculata, and from there they were off and running. On September 16, the team faced one of their biggest challenges of the season in #2 ranked Rowan University, but even they could not stop the Fords. Haverford defeated Rowan in a dominant 2-0 victory, marking their highest-ranked win since 2015. Just days later, they kicked off their Centennial Conference season at Gettysburg, holding their rivals to a tie of 0-0.
Over a month into the season, the Fords remained undefeated through 14 games with a record of 7-0-7. Their strong record landed them a spot on the NCAA Region V rankings, where they slotted in at number 5, just days after holding Dickinson, the number one ranked team in the region, to a 1-1 tie.
Three weeks later, the Fords hosted Swarthmore for their senior day, and the last game of the regular season. To finish the already successful conference season off with a bang, the team beat their tri-co opponents 1-0 with their only goal coming in the 88th minute by senior captain Gabe Knopf. With their undefeated season wrapping up, the team headed into the postseason as the third seed in the Centennial Conference, set to host sixth-seeded Muhlenberg.
Just like the rest of the season, kicked off by that defining game against Arcadia, the Fords demonstrated that they fight to the end. After a tense 90 minutes, the score was tied 1-1, sending the two teams into an overtime period during which both teams continued to thwart each other. Finally, in a shootout, Muhlenberg prevailed, converting all five of their kicks while Haverford managed to get three into the net, ending the Fords’ championship dreams in the first round of the playoffs.
Despite how it ended, the Haverford men’s 2025 soccer team is one defined by a success the team has not experienced in years. Senior captain Juan Rivera credited the camaraderie of the team for their success, attesting that the team had a sense of unity, both on and off the field. Having seen the team grow in the four years that he has been at Haverford, Rivera was impressed with how far the team has come, saying that, “we felt as though we’ve been able to instill a new sense of confidence and purpose into the program that had been lost for a bit.” And even though this year’s captains are graduating, they have full confidence that the team will continue to build on the momentum that they’ve established this year. Gabe Knopf, the team’s third senior captain, echoes Rivera’s points, believing that “we got back to the identity that made previous Haverford teams so successful and I know the guys will continue to work hard to make sure next season is even better.” After a record-breaking season, it will be hard for the team to top what they’ve managed this year, but Haverford men’s soccer is eager for the opportunity to try.
