The men’s soccer club at Weber State University fell short of victory in Group B at the 2025 NIRSA Region 6 North tournament, which they hosted at Spence Eccles Ogden Community Sports Complex over Halloween weekend.
They were defeated by Utah State University by a score of 3–2 on Oct. 31, drew with the University of Washington, 1–1, on Nov. 1 and fell 3–0 to the University of Oregon just hours later on Nov. 1.
After finishing second during the Utah college club soccer regular season behind only Brigham Young University, who won the previous four national championship titles, Wildcat head coach Mike Genta’s expectations for the postseason were not met.
“Heartbreaking. I don’t know, we didn’t show up. We talk about it, and we’re not about it,” Genta said. “It’s a matter of commitment. Commitment is summed up in three words to me: what you allow. Do we allow guys to continue to miss training? Do we allow guys to come in late? It’s about holding everybody to a higher standard.”
Halloween night saw Weber give up a two-goal lead and lose 3–2 to Utah State in their opening match. In the first half, the Aggie defense could only clear the ball as far as Wildcat midfielder Park Bolos, who hammered a first-time, right-footed shot into the top corner from outside the area to open the scoring. In the second half, Wildcat defender James Patten rose highest to head midfielder Tomas Paraizo’s corner-kick delivery into the net to double the advantage. After that, things went sour for Weber State.
“The goal felt nice, but the rest of the game, we definitely fell apart at the end,” Bolos said. “We had a game plan, we didn’t execute. That’s what happens when you don’t execute.”
Despite their strong start, the warning signs were apparent as Weber was forced to clear the ball off their own goal line on three occasions before conceding. Ultimately, three late, quickfire Aggie goals from Jate Longhurst and Ryan Johnson sealed the “deflating” defeat for Weber in the words of Coach Duane Ralphs.
The following morning, the Wildcats came from behind to salvage a 1–1 draw with the Washington Huskies. After UW midfielder Bobby Parsek found the opener from close range following a corner kick, Bolos again came up with a goal from distance for the Wildcats. On this occasion, the Weber midfielder curled the ball past the Husky goalkeeper with the inside of his left foot, opting for precision over power.
Following the stalemate, Genta called for “more accountability, more poise and more patience” from his team, citing frustration with match officials and a demand for squad rotation given the packed schedule.
“Can’t leave it yet. You’ve got to play it so you don’t leave it in the referees’ hands,” Genta said. “The idea is that the reserves have got to come in and raise the level of play and not drop. Right now, their confidence is even shaken. We’ve got to find a way to mentally challenge ourselves to stay to the level we expect.”
A few hours after the Washington game, Weber retook the field at Spence Eccles to take on Oregon, losing 3–0 to first-half goals from Ajani White, Luke Tinsley and Max Anders. The Ducks attacked with pace, precise passing and clinical finishing to overwhelm away from home.
The Wildcats improved in the second half but could not overturn the deficit. They must now look ahead to the open division national tournament in Kansas City later this month.
Weber State midfielder and senior club president Alex Ingman remains optimistic about the team’s chances and is proud of the time he has spent bleeding purple.
“We’ve had a lot of success. Obviously, we didn’t perform well in this regional tournament, but not all is lost. I think we still just have to dial in, get back to training, back to the drawing board and just make the most of the postseasons and what we’ve got left,” Ingman said. “Win or lose, it’s awesome to just see the community come together. It’s more than just soccer … I’m just grateful that this is gonna be a part of who I am and my identity as a person … It’s been a privilege.”
Despite the tournament’s disappointment, Genta fondly recalls the team’s initial campaign and believes Weber can return to form with hard work and dedication.
“We had a great regular season. Can’t take that away, it was an accomplishment. But, for whatever reason, we’ve hit the struggle bus right now and we’ve got to sort it out and go back to what we were doing to make us successful,” Genta said. “I think it starts with the guys recommitting.”
