Young but Experienced Squad Prepares for 2025 Season

CARLINVILLE, IL -- The 2025 Blackburn College Men's Soccer team kicks off their season Friday and while the team features 34 freshman and sophomores, it will be able to rely on a vast amount of experience from their sophomore class. 

The Beavers return 10 starters from last season and often times saw 10 freshman field players on the pitch last season. This year, the team will be led by returning Second Team All-St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection, sophomore Johnny Perla. Perla finished with two goals from his midfielder position and will look to provide a solid presence to the team. Sophomores Gavin Norwood and AJ Blanco also return and enter the season named captains. Norwood returns from an injury that cost him the majority of his freshman season while Blanco will give the team experience and leadership.

The offensive attack will look to sophomores Cristian Cazares and Grant Eugea, and senior Henry Ibarguen-Londono who led the team in scoring as freshman last season. Cazares tallied four goals and two assists while Ibarguen-Londono and Eugea both had three goals each. Eugea also chipped in with three assists while Ibarguen-Londono adding two. Joining Cazares and Ibarguen-Londono up front are senior Tyler Marconi, juniors Christian Miller and Landon Snyder who all saw time last season while freshmen Faron Harmony and Lens Dorlys will look to make an immediate impact by adding offensive firepower.  

Perla, Eugea and Blanco will lead a young group of midfielders but are also the most experienced group on the team. Junior Alex Jimenez and sophomores Corbin Bochinski, Marc Pierre and Freddy Paiz all played major minutes last season to gain a vast amount of experience. Freshman Nathan Soto added a goal in the team's scrimmage and is joined by additional freshman Preston Cooper, Fabian Perez, Ian Cappello, Kendrik Troutt, Ricardo Alvarado, Chase McVickar and Adrian Castillo to provide added depth while pushing the returners everyday throughout the season. 

Defensively, Norwood will be joined by senior Landon Tribble, juniors Cade Harper and Sam Burrows, and sophomores Ty Dyson, Brayden Smith, Byron McNeil, and Corban Parker who return with experience from last year. McNeil and Dyson both started all 18 games last year while Smith made 17 starts. Tribble, Harper, Burrows, and Parker also made signifacant appearances throughout the year. Joining the backline will be freshman Abner Portillo, Nolan Ruiz, Jake Palmer, Salvador Paz, Antonio Baca, Drew Elliott and Axel Gutierrez. Each freshman will provide the team depth along with the potential to be impactful players when called on. 

In goal, the team must replace a mainstay as the team graduated their four-year starting goalkeeper after the 2024 season. Sophomore returners Youssef Mahrish and Leandro Triano both saw time in net in relief duties during the freshman campaign and will be looked upon to provide a steady influence in goal. They are joined by sophomore transfer Juan Vargas and freshman Brayden Keys. Vargas played at McPherson College last season after a standout high school career in Texas while Keys comes to Blackburn after playing at Columbia High School. 

The team kicks off the season Friday with a visit to Iowa to take on Central College. The home slate begins September 10 when they host Illinois Wesleyan University. Conference play will start Homecoming Weekend, September 27 with a home match against Greenville College.