The 2024 season was one of the best in recent memory for Carroll's men's soccer program, going 9-4-5 overall and 5-2-1 in the CCIW, finishing third in the league, which allowed them to host a CCIW Tournament Quarterfinal game for the first time in program history. That marked the most wins the program had experienced in 10 years, and was the most conference win for the program since rejoining the CCIW in 2016.

"All the players bought in to what we were doing last year, which was phenomenal, and a key reason for our success," said Carroll Head Men's Soccer Coach Andy Kohel.

That begs the question: What can the Pioneers do for an encore?

"We set a high bar for us with our success last year, which is a good problem to have. In terms of mentality, we have to improve that aspect every day, while building off our success," Kohel said. "We'd love to win a CCIW Tournament game for the first time in program history and we'd like to secure another home CCIW Tournament game and position ourselves to be in contention for hosting rights."

One way the Pios will try to achieve those goals is through their experience, as they boast multiple players who have logged 3,000 career minutes for the team.

"In addition to our experienced players, we will also bring in some guys to add to our core," Kohel said. "We'll be a hard working team with players that are willing to defend and whom are pretty special with the ball, which is a great combination to have."

Carroll's top goal scorer returns in Senior Marti Solanelles, who scored nine goals in 13 games before an injury ended his season, with the Pios making their postseason run without his services. An All-Region, All-Conference, and Academic All-District performer, Solanelles enters the 2025 season needing just two goals and one assist to break into the top 10 in program history for those respective categories.

"Marti is one of the most skilled players in the conference. The things he can do with the ball are just different, so not having him down the stretch of last season hurt us a lot," Kohel said. "His presence is felt on the field through both his play and leadership, and he'll be able to achieve some special things this year."

Another returner that will see a ton of playing time once more is Senior Midfielder Matthew Meke. The Academic All-District performer started all 18 games a year ago, recording three goals and two assists, which ranked fourth and third on the team, respectively.

"Matthew is a very versatile player for us, who has played four or five different positions during his career," Kohel said. "We'll continue to rotate him around the field and he'll make an impact no matter where we put him. He's an athlete who can do some very good things with the ball, and we expect him to contribute in many ways."

Another player who will bolster Carroll's offensive attack is Senior Midfielder Nico Hinten. Appearing in 31 games for the Pios the last two seasons, Hinten has recorded one goal and three assists in his career.

"Nico is a top player in this conference who brings a ton of experience, while also having a strong understanding and passion for the game. He's also a team captain who has a lot of creativity and vision to hit a variety of passes," Kohel said. "Our offense runs through Nico, and we look for him to have a huge impact on our team again this year.

Senior Thomas Rodriguez will also see significant minutes once again as the Pios' top defender. A Second Team All-Conference selection a year ago, Rodriguez has started 52 games during the past three seasons, including all 18 last year.

"Thomas is one of the best defenders in the conference, which he has showcased during all three of his years at Carroll. The way he reads the field and anticipates are pretty special, and we're fortunate to have him on our team," Kohel said. "He is a captain and does a great job with his leadership and holding the other players accountable, while also holding a high standard for our program."

Another defender to watch will be Senior Jackson Greear, who appeared in 16 games last season, starting 15, while recording one assist.

"Jackson is our best 1v1 defender," Kohel said. He leads by example and wants the challenge of going against the opposition's best attacker, so we look forward to him doing that for us again this year."

Manel Rastrollo will also contribute on Carroll's backline, after appearing in all but one game last season. He is one of three returning Pios that recorded at least one goal a year ago.

"Manel is very versatile. After playing as an outside defender in the past, we hope to play him a little more centrally this season," Kohel said. "He's a team-first guy who shows a passion for the game, and he will make an impact for us no matter where he is on the field."

Carroll's last line of defense will be Junior Goal Keeper Jason Brunger, who had an exceptional first year as a full-time starter in 2024. Playing all 18 games and logging nearly 1,600 minutes, Brunger finished the season with 52 saves, a Goals Against Average of 1.14, and a Save Percentage of .722. He currently ranks eighth in program history for career wins (12) and seventh in career shutouts (5).

"We cut our Goals Against Average in half last year, which had a lot to do with what Jason did in goal with his ability to come up with big time saves and organize the defensive formation," Kohel said. "He has put in the work and is a confident individual, so we're looking forward to him building off his success of last year."

Backing Brunger up will be Sophomore Uriel Garcia, who has played three career games and nearly 61 career minutes, making three saves without allowing a goal.

"In our eyes, we have two quality starting Goal Keepers," Kohel said. "Uriel has been great in his role and continues to stay ready. If the opportunity arises, we feel very confident that he can step in and get the job done for us.

Joining Carroll for their first year in the program includes a slew of freshmen and transfer student-athletes. They will mix in with the more experienced players to form a cohesive unit.

"We have some players who come into our program with a lot of accolades already," Kohel said. "Alec Behringer was an All-American in High School and should suit our system very well. He's a fluid passer with incredible vision, so having both him and Nico in the midfield has been fun to watch, and we look forward to him doing some great things for us for years to come."

One transfer that is expected to contribute this season is Jorge Gonzalez-Marrero, who comes to Waukesha via Felician University, which advanced to the NCAA Division-II Elite Eight last year.

"Jorge has gained some valuable experience in the postseason, which is our ultimate goal, and hopefully will help us get there at the Division-III level."

Two more newcomers that could produce early on include freshmen Nate Patzer and Iskander Sharipov, who are from Shorewood and Waukesha, Wis., respectively.

"Patzer played for FC Wisconsin where he went up against some very high level players, and we're looking for him to make an impact as an outside defender," Kohel said. "Sharipov played in one of the highest youth academy leagues in the country this past year, and will join Marti as a winger who can do some damage offensively."

Carroll's men's soccer team will open their season Friday at the friendly confines of Schneider Stadium in Waukesha at 7 p.m., before taking on seventh-ranked UW-Eau Clare at 1 p.m. on Sunday.