Weber State University’s men’s soccer club is gearing up for a season of high self-expectations in the 2025 fall semester as they look to build on last season’s national tournament run that ended with a 2–1 semi-final defeat to the University of California, Los Angeles.
Away from the bright lights and high budgets of NCAA Division 1, Weber’s men’s team is a club organized by the student presidency that competes in the National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA).
The Wildcats have been led this past year by club presidents Gabe Juarez, Ben Bischoff, Jaiden Marriot and Alex Ingman.
Due to the high volume of players who signed up for tryouts in August, the club will once again compete on two fronts as their considerable squad depth permits the formation of the black squad, a second team composed of players that Weber’s coaches believe have the quality to play for the purple squad, or first team.
Coach Duane Ralphs, who is entering his fifth year on WSU’s touchline, is confident that the unity of his players will make this year’s team one to watch amidst conference competition from Boise State University, Brigham Young University, the University of Utah, Utah State University, Utah Valley University and Utah Tech University.
“The greatest strength of this team is that we are one team,” Duane Ralphs said. “There’s nobody, individually, that is better or bigger than the team, so our philosophy is to make sure that we’re playing well together as a team and to make sure we are playing to our strengths: possess the ball, use each other in the positions played in the past and be there for each other.”
Outside of conference play, the Wildcats are hosting the NIRSA Regional tournament in Ogden from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 and will play against schools from the Western side of the country in Region Six. Qualification for the national tournament, which will be held in Overland Park, Kansas, hinges on WSU winning Regionals or finishing in the top two in the conference table.
Fifth-year forward and team captain Taggart Ralphs, son of Coach Duane Ralphs and 2024 All-American nominee, feels he has grown significantly as a player and a person during his time as a Wildcat and wants to win it all in his final season with the program.
“I want to score as much as I can and help the team get to nationals,” Ralphs said. “Being a leader on the team means making sure everything is organized. That means game time, practice and striving for big goals. We’ve got to set the bar high because none of us wants to ever come up short, and as a leader, that’s my responsibility.”
Weber State’s schedule kicks off on Sept. 5 with a trip to Salt Lake City for a showdown with U of U, the first of 12 conference games in roughly ten weeks.
The club holds tryouts each year in August to form the purple and black squads. The club also offers open training sessions during the summer where anyone interested in trying out can hone their skills and prepare for the upcoming season.
