On Saturday, as the men’s soccer team’s (4-3-1, 0-1 Ivy) walked out for their match against Cornell (6-2, 2-0 Ivy), they were joined by the next generation of Brunonian soccer fans. Players from the Rhode Island Surf Soccer Club and students from The Gordon School joined hands with the Bears as they walked out onto Stevenson-Pincince Field for the team’s annual Youth Day.
For eight-year-old Alexa Anderson, a R.I. Surf player, this was the highlight of the match. While Anderson’s current favorite part of the sport is that “you get to move around a lot,” she has bigger ambitions for the future.
Anderson said she wants to go to Brown and play soccer for the Bears. She got a taste of playing on Brown’s home field during the Youth Day halftime scrimmage.
The match day was filled with celebrations and commemorated the 100-year anniversary of the program’s founding.
Brown Athletics aims to have each varsity sport host an annual Youth Day with local teams, explained Aidan Dwyer, marketing coordinator of Brown Athletics.
Head Coach Chase Wileman shared after the game that the team talks “a lot about having humility and being good guys before good soccer players.” With Tuesday’s rescheduled matchup against Columbia (3-2-2, 0-1 Ivy) ahead, Wileman added that hosting Youth Day keeps the players grounded and builds perspective.
The men’s soccer team suffered a 1-2 defeat to Cornell. The Bears took a 1-0 lead into halftime, following senior midfielder Mathias Hille’s ’27 converted penalty kick.
Hille said it was “special” to have the students there to watch. “It is an honor to have people look up to you,” he added.
The crowd’s youthful energy helped maintain lively spirits as the Bears defense held off the Big Red until a goal in the 58th minute. After that, Brown kept the game tied at 1-1 for much of the second half. But with fourteen minutes left, the Big Red’s Adam Schaban broke through and scored.
Nine-year-old R.I. Surf player Ahrel Messon encouraged his teammates on R.I. Surf to cheer on the Bears throughout the game, adding that he thought the best part of the game was Hille’s penalty kick. Soccer is “just entertaining,” he said, “(It was) very, very fun to watch.”
Even when he’s on the field, Messon keeps that enthusiasm alive — he said his favorite aspect of playing soccer is “yelling.”
Eight-year-old Jagger Atamian, a defender for R.I. Surf, also said his favorite part of the game was Hille’s goal. Watching the older players was “pretty cool,” he added.
Even after the loss, the young supporters were eager to celebrate the Brown players, who signed autographs and took photos after the game.
Wileman added that the joyful presence of the young fans helps remind the players of when they were that age and “playing the game for the love of it.”
Defender Shayne Thompson ’27 also appreciated seeing the community come together over soccer and the opportunity to give younger players a glimpse into collegiate athletics.
“I’m more than happy to always look out for the younger generation,” Thompson said.
