Lewiston, Maine - The Colby Men's Soccer 2025 season has come to an end. A 1-1 draw against Bates this evening takes the Mules to 5-4-6 on the season and 0-4-6 in NESCAC conference play. With their conference record, Colby will miss the NESCAC tournament; however, from Head Coach Sean Elvert's perspective, his inaugural season has many positive takeaways.

The Mules looked strong from the whistle against a strong Bobcat squad. Although there were no shots on goal in the first half, Colby moved the ball well in the final third and created shots. Jude Gussen registered two in the first ten minutes and a third later on in the half, all of which were blocked. Defensively, the Mules' back line gave goalkeeper Jackson Magee relatively little work to do until the second half, where he came up with five crucial saves.

Coming out of the break, both teams pushed for an opener, stretching the game out and creating space in the midfield. It seemed as whoever won the midfield battle would find the opener, but constant changes in possession kept the intensity high. The in-state rivalry continued to live up to the hype as in the last minute of the game, Santi Canencio Moreno gave Colby a lifeline and what seemed like their first conference win of the season. However, less than 50 seconds later, Bates capitalized on a free kick and tied the game with seven seconds left.

After a long season, it's easy to look back at what could've been, but for Elvert's squad, multiple close losses and hard-fought ties give hope to next season about what could come. Future basketball Hall of Famer Russell Westbrook lives by the phrase "Why Not," which embodies his determination to be the best he can be. After a year where success was defined by wins and losses, but by a record that doesn't show a last-minute goal from Bates, the Mules can rest easy knowing they outperformed expectations, but should be hungry knowing that they can be one of the best teams in the conference next year; conference champions? Why not?