'A really beautiful chapter in my life': Tommies soccer graduates reflect on their time with the program
St. Thomas University's (STU) men's and women's soccer teams played the final games of their regular season last weekend. The Tommies welcomed a pair of Halifax-based teams for an exciting doubleheader.
Game one took place on Oct. 24. STU took on the University of Kings College (UKC) Blue Devils. The women's team kicked off the weekend with a 5-1 statement victory.
STU's men's team continued the dominance with a 3-0 victory. Ahmed Hafez opened the scoring early in the first half. His strike was followed by a pair of goals in the second by Aidan Lavery and Sylvain Carriere.
Meanwhile, Sunday's games against the Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU) Mystics
were much closer. Both STU teams came back to tie after being down by one.
Prior to the games against UKC, STU honoured their graduating players. They were recognized for their hard work and dedication to the program over their university career.
For Meaghan Donahue Wies, graduation games are one of the "favourite days" of her job. She has been the school's Director of Athletics and Recreation for three years. Many of the senior players came to the program during her rookie season.
She feels it has been "really cool" to see the evolution of the group, from "day one" up until their senior season. Still, saying goodbye is a "bittersweet experience."
"You never want to say goodbye to people who have given four or five years of their lives to being a Tommie," said Donahue Wies. "But it also means that we get the chance to celebrate them and their amazing careers with us and send them off in a way that shows them that we're excited for whatever lies ahead ... It's a great opportunity just to try to bring the community together for a celebration."
Donahue Wies wants the graduates to move on to "whatever their definition of success" is in life. At the same time, she is hopeful that players will stay connected to the program by coming back to visit and keeping her posted on what they are doing.
The goal is to keep a "connected community" beyond their time at STU
"I always feel a lot of pride. I feel a lot of joy, but there's always a little tinge of sadness ... It's similar to actual graduation," she said of her emotions during the grad games. "We're so excited to see where they're going to go and what they're going to do next, and we're so grateful for the time that they've given us."
Seven players from the women's team are graduating, while five male Tommies are taking the next step in their careers.
Kiran Hollmann-Prichard is a fourth-year wing for the Tommies. He began playing for the green and gold in 2023.
Hollmann-Prichard described his time at STU as a "wild ride." As someone who travelled across the country to play the sport, he appreciated the support system and community offered by those at STU and the athletics community.
"Being part of the soccer team was huge, both personally and socially. You get there, and you have 25 family members and people that are going to stick up for you no matter what,” Hollman-Prichard said. “I love the school and I love this program.”
STU, as well as the city of Fredericton, was something that Hollmann-Pritchard had no real idea of when he was first recruited. He grew up in the small coastal community of Lund. Most people from the community often go to school in Vancouver, or across the water in Nanaimo or Victoria.
Therefore, Hollmann-Prichard wanted to "break that bubble" a little bit. His goal was to attend university somewhere that allowed him to see a new part of the country and have an opportunity to meet new people.
If he stayed and went to school at home, then Hollmann-Prichard figured he might not be able to "push himself" outside of his comfort zone.
"I started to learn about the program ... and had chats with [John-Ryan Morrison], the former coach. He's the one who brought me here and it all kicked off from there," he said. "From the minute I stepped on foot on campus, I felt right at home."
Hollmann-Prichard credited some of the former captains for influencing his career.
Being part of the leadership groups this season, he wanted to model his style after those who wore the armband in the past, like Josh Oakes and Sam Choiniere. Those are people he felt helped "set the standard" for the program.
At the same time, having his mother at the grad game was "really special" to him.
"It means the world to me that she came out to support," said Hollmann-Prichard. "I'll remember the results. I'll remember the away games. I'll remember all the training sessions. But the thing that'll stick with me most is the connections that I made with the boys, past teammates and coaches."
"The soccer program ... has been a really beautiful chapter in my life."
Caitlyn Steeves is a central defensive midfielder. She is in her fourth season with the Tommies, her third as captain. During that time, she has won the team's MVP award three times and is a former Atlantic Collegiate Athletics Association (ACAA) first-team all-star.
Steeves described the grad games as being "really nice." Her recruiting class have been together for the past four seasons. As a result, they have done a lot to help get the program to where it is today.
She also believes senior year has been her "favourite season" thus far.
"I think it's we've had some up and down seasons. But we've worked really hard and that's helped get us to this point," she said. "We never gave up ... we kept coming back every year and working ... but this year feels like we're all committed to one team goal, which is winning playoffs."
Steeves will remember the friendships and connections she made the most during her time with the program. She has met some of her best friends and played with some awesome teammates during her four years.
She also credits "both of her parents" as being influences during her soccer journey. Both were in attendance for her final games of the season.
"They took me everywhere so that I could play at the highest level. My dad also coached me growing up ... I've learned a lot from him," she said. “I'm very thankful for the coaching he's done and them being there for me."
Both Steeves and Hollmann-Prichard had similar advice for first-year and incoming students to the teams. They want freshmen to "work hard" and appreciate their time in the program. However, they should not "forget to have fun."
"The years fly by way too fast. It feels like it was just yesterday when I was a first year, and now I'm at my own grad game," said Steeves. "It's been so much fun to play alongside the team during all of these years."
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