ELON, N.C. – Simply looking at its record, some might consider the 2023 season a step back for the Elon University men's soccer team after an NCAA Tournament appearance the year prior. A deeper look and a conversation with the group's head coach and captain tells a different story – one of camaraderie, determination and leadership.

The Phoenix won four of its last five matches, outscoring opponents 8-0 in the final three. The team's efforts were rewarded with a third-consecutive trip to the conference tournament, advancing to the semifinals, in which Elon lost a heartbreaker to Monmouth in penalty kicks.

"Our resilience shone through our ability to stick to the task and stay together as a group, not fall apart," head coach Marc Reeves said.

With a clean slate, Reeves understands the Phoenix must learn from their body of work in 2023 and build upon it for the upcoming season.

"The most important message is learning those lessons and starting a little bit further ahead and not taking as long to get to that point," Reeves said. "I think we've already started that way in preseason."

The Phoenix's '24 lineup will feature familiar faces. The squad returns its two leading point producers in 2023, graduate forward Victor Stromsten and senior midfielder Scott Vatne. Elon will also retain its starting goalkeeper, senior Tomasz Wroblewski, who finished second in the CAA in saves per game (5.00) and recorded five clean sheets.

"Three great leaders, three great people, true examples of what our program is about," Reeves said. "The daily consistency, but also enjoying it, being a family."

By drawing on its core group of veterans, Reeves hopes the team can take the experience from its postseason losses and turn it into success. 

"They've been through it all," Reeves said. "They've lost in an NCAA Tournament. They've lost in two [conference] finals. They found a way to get into those finals because consistently making it into the conference tournament is hard enough, let alone getting at least to the semi-final and the final twice. There's lessons to be learned."

On and off the field, one of the most impactful voices for the Phoenix has been junior midfielder Majaliwa "Mac" Msabaha. For the second year in a row, Msabaha earned the title of captain, as voted by his teammates. 

"To be selected by your peers is the ultimate recognition that you are a good role model, you are a good person, you have good character and not just, 'You're a good player,'" Reeves said. "For Mac, he was selected as a sophomore, which has been highly unlikely in my 25 years [of coaching]."

The newly-minted upperclassman has begun to fill his trophy case through his first two collegiate seasons with personal accolades, including an All-CAA rookie team selection and two nods to the All-CAA third team.

"Mac can be a vocal leader as needed, but he's a prime example of putting the work in and not looking for the recognition," Reeves said. "He probably even shies away from it. He's such a humble person, and he's not looking for medals and trophies. He wants the team to win, but he's thoroughly deserving of it, and the captaincy shows that."

Msabaha will take on an increased leadership role as the team's lead captain. Heading into his third collegiate season, he reflected upon what makes his teammates stand out among the competition and what's essential to focus on – unity.

"People want to fight for the team, for each other. There is not a lot of pointing fingers," Msabaha said.

"I've been through a lot soccer-wise. I've played in different places and at different levels," Msabaha added. "The important part of [being captain] is to treat other people with respect, first of all, and make sure that they're doing well outside of soccer."

Elon faces a strong schedule in 2024, with three opponents ranked in the United Soccer Coaches' preseason top-25. However, Reeves pointed to the unpredictability of college soccer, where any team has a chance. 

"College soccer, the parity is insane," Reeves said. "There are only 205 teams. Outside of maybe the top-15, anyone can beat anyone."

Following a strong push to end the 2023 campaign, Elon is projected to finish fourth in the conference, according to the CAA preseason poll.

"We know the CAA is incredibly tough," Reeves said. "It's got some really strong teams in it, some really hard places to go and get results, some incredible coaches, brilliant players."

The Phoenix's more challenging schedule is by design. In Reeves' eyes, there are benefits of playing tougher competition, from improving on-field tactics to building a strong resume, which can play a role in the group's hunt for an NCAA Tournament bid.

"Our focus is always on trying to win the league, like in 2022. We build a strong non-conference [schedule], so if we do lose in the final of the CAA like we did two years ago, we can get an at-large bid," Reeves said. "My ultimate goal as a coach is to put our players in the NCAA Tournament. That's the biggest memory, winning trophies and playing in the NCAA Tournament."

Premiere competition and ranked opponents also open the door for possible upsets at the hands of the Phoenix, which has happened before both on the road and at Rudd Field.

"That gives you an energy booster, and you're ready for the next game, whether it's CAA or whatever it is, because you just beat a very good opponent, and it adds so much to the team," Msabaha said. "It's fun to play against the big sharks."

The Phoenix will begin regular season play at Rudd Field on Aug. 22 at 7 p.m. against Florida Gulf Coast University. The Eagles were selected to finish fourth in the American Athletic Conference preseason poll.

"Our job is to play with energy, play with excitement," Reeves said. "The CAA final and the NCAA Tournament game, we had brilliant crowds because we built a reputation as, 'You need to come watch us play.' That starts Thursday with us."

THREE THINGS TO KNOW:

PRESEASON PRAISE
Elon has three players entering the 2024 season with preseason conference accolades. Vatne and Stromsten were selected to the All-CAA preseason team, a first for Stromsten. Msabaha took home his second straight All-CAA preseason honorable mention.

NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Vatne was named to the United Soccer Coaches preseason Midfield Watch List. The senior returns following back-to-back All-CAA first team selections. Last season, Vatne finished with 12 points and a career-high four goals.

PRIMETIME ON RUDD FIELD
The Phoenix play host to two standout non-conference opponents this season, both fellow North Carolina schools. On Oct. 8, Elon will face a preseason top-20 foe in the Duke Blue Devils. On Oct. 23, the Phoenix take on the Charlotte 49ers, who enter the season as favorites to take home a second straight American Athletic Conference championship title.
 

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'Rising Phoenix' is a student-led initiative to cover Elon Athletics. Through innovative content creation and storytelling, Elon University students will have the opportunity to highlight the moments, people and events that make an impact, leveraging the athletic department's various web and social media platforms for distribution. Follow Rising Phoenix on X (@EURisingPhoenix) and Instagram (@elonrisingphoenix). Interested in joining this initiative as a content creator (video, graphics, writing, storytelling, or more)? Contact Chase Strawser at cstrawser@elon.edu.

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