A historic season for the East boys soccer team closed with a 5-1 loss to eventual state champions Gull Lake in the state semifinals. The team reached the state semifinals for the first time in 31 years and won district and regional titles along the way. 

This season was a historic one for the soccer team, but for the people on the team last year, it didn’t come easily. 

“Last season was tough for us,” Ben Cannon ‘22 said, “We didn’t have a lot of team chemistry and we didn’t do well at all.” Even though last season was tough, there are always positives to draw. 

“I think that [losing a lot of games last year] helped to fuel this year and help us achieve what we did,” Arend Vyn ‘21, said. 

“I think last season motivated us to play more as a team,” Cannon finished. 

The season started optimistically as coach Michael Vollmer was promoted from JV coach to Varsity, bringing new energy to the team. “You could feel the energy in the first game and it was just different than years past,” Vyn said. “I think it was a change in mentality and leadership that also helped turn around the program.”

This season is seen by some as a potential springboard to a new era of EGR Soccer. “This year will change the program forever because it shows the team what we are capable of even when many obstacles are thrown in the way,” Jonah Bishop ‘22 said. 

“This season will make our team motivated to win a state title, something that we got so close to doing but couldn’t accomplish,” said Cannon. 

 Even though the seniors won’t be around next year, and the team will have to replace a lot of talent, “I’m super excited for next year because with the confidence gained this year, next year’s team will be able to have the same opportunities in the postseason,” said Bishop.

“I think this year helped set a new standard for the soccer team,” Vyn said. “I’m excited to see how much we can accomplish in the near future”