A Wolverine winner 20 years in the making
By Mia Gallagher · Sports Editor
With a resounding 1-0 victory over the Franciscan Barons on Saturday, the Grove City College men’s soccer team asserted their place atop the PAC, clinching the conference’s coveted 2025 championship and automatic bid into the NCAA tournament.
This PAC championship win — just the third in the team’s storied history — marks the end of the program’s 20-year conference title drought and serves as a rallying point for the Wolverines as they prepare for their NCAA appearance.
“It was truly electric; the boys played with grit and passion like their lives were on the line for this game. They left everything on the field to take home this PAC title and punch our ticket to the NCAA tournament. None of us will ever forget this moment,” freshman keeper Keller Kreiger said.
“I am super excited for the team. This group of seniors has been to the finals three years in a row, and to see them celebrate and enjoy this is awesome,” Head Coach Mike Dreves added.
Dreves, an alumnus of the program and member of the 1996 PAC title team, celebrates his 20th season at the helm with this long-awaited victory. Throughout his career, he has led the Wolverines to 197 wins and 18 PAC conference tournament appearances.
“I loved playing here and love coaching here. I have been blessed to win a conference title as a player, assistant coach and now as a head coach, and that means a lot. Over the past few days, countless alumni have reached out. I know it means a lot, but what guys have shared, how they have reacted, I am learning that it has meant much more than I ever thought it would,” Dreves said. “Every team I have coached has helped me make this program better in some way and helped make me a better coach, so in many ways this is as much a championship for all the alumni as it is for this team.”
Grove City opened the match with what proved to be a key defensive stand as Krieger saved a Franciscan penalty kick at 11:45 in the match to preserve the 0-0 tie. Krieger would go on to tally an additional seven saves to cement the Wolverines’ title hopes.
Capitalizing on this momentum shift, the top-seeded Wolverines pushed the ball up field to senior midfielder Aidan Eck, who netted the game’s winning goal at 16:54 Eck’s breakthrough goal were sophomores Luke Ladas and Evan Yoder — truly making this goal a comprehensive team effort.
The remainder of the match saw the two talented defenses do battle, locking the game in a stalemate that proved crucial to the Wolverines’ success. Maintaining an edge in total shots (14-11) and working against a corner kick deficit (2-6), the Wolverines emerged 75 minutes with their well-earned PAC title.
“It is such an honor, and I’m so grateful to be a part of the team. Coach Dreves reminded the team after the game that winning is not what defines our team, but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate like crazy when we achieve our goal,” Eck said.
“As we look to the NCAA tournament, I think we are coming in with confidence in our ability to compete with any team in the country as well as an excitement to go do something that hasn’t been done before.”
On Monday, Grove City learned they would face Calvin College in the first round of the NCAA tournament. This pairing — a rematch of the teams’ Sept. 20 game that was canceled halfway through due to weather conditions — is unique by NCAA tournament standards and may prove favorable for the Wolverines as they prepare.
“I trust if it is God’s will, we will bring home the victory this week. I know if the boys just fall back on their skills and play how we have been playing this whole season, we can be victorious,” Krieger said.
The Wolverines will face the Knights this afternoon at 1:30 p.m. in Geneva, N.Y.
