On Monday night, the men’s soccer team (2-0, 0-0 Ivy) edged past Fairfield University (2-1, 0-0 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) 1-0 to kick off their 2025 campaign with a two-game win streak. Just three days earlier, the Bears hosted a home game against the College of the Holy Cross (0-2-1, 0-0 Patriot League) and took a decisive 2-1 opening victory.
“It’s really early in the season, but I can see the energy and passion that our team brings,” Lorenzo Amaral ’27, who was named First Team All-Ivy forward in 2024, wrote in an email to the Herald. “We always want more and don’t want to be satisfied.”
Last year’s 8-8-1 season, which was capped off by an appearance in the Ivy League tournament, only intensified the team’s hunger as they keep their eye on the title this year. After three weeks of preseason training — during which the team welcomed 10 new students — the Bears came prepared for their opening game against Holy Cross.
Not even four minutes into the match, Brown was awarded a throw-in dangerously near Holy Cross’s corner. In an incredible feat of strength, Greyson Mitchell ’26 placed the ball all the way into the box, where 2024 Second Team All-Ivy midfielder Mads Stistrup Petersen ’27 then sent a flying header into the back of the net.
Down by one early in the game, Holy Cross put up a fight. Only eight minutes later, the Crusaders marched down the field to even the score. After another 30 minutes of back-and-forth play, the teams entered halftime tied 1-1.
In the second half, the Crusaders peppered the Bruno defense, outshooting Bruno 12-2. But despite the Holy Cross onslaught, two incredible saves by goalie Henrik Weiper ’26 and stellar play by the back line kept Brown’s net clean.
For 75 minutes, the game remained in a stalemate. But just when a draw seemed inevitable, the Bears scored a miraculous game-winner in the 87th minute. Charging down the right wing, Marshall Treese ’29 earned his first career assist with a beautiful cross to Jamin Gogo Peters ’26, who sent the ball flying over the Crusader’s keeper to cement Bruno’s victory.
On Monday, the Bears were back on the pitch, this time facing a talented 2-0 Fairfield team.
Throughout the first half, Brown sent a flurry of attacks the Stags’ way. But even while outshooting Fairfield 7-0, Bruno couldn’t find the back of the net.
The tide finally turned in the 58th minute when Amaral intercepted a pass from Fairfield’s back line. Catching Fairfield off guard, Amaral rushed towards the box before crossing to a wide open Stistrup Petersen, who smoothly finished the play to make it 1-0 Brown.
“Lorenzo saw an opportunity to step to their defender and won the ball, and picked out a great pass for me to finish the goal off,” Petersen wrote.
Supported by an impressive defensive effort from Brown’s back line and goalkeeper Weiper, the Bears were able to walk away with the victory.
It was a “tight and scrappy game but we showed hunger to win and defend our badge,” Amaral wrote. “We had some good moments and capitalized on a mistake, and that’s what it took to come out with the win.”
Now, the Bears are looking ahead to a heavy-hitting contest at Boston University at 7 p.m. on Friday.
“We’ve won the two first games of the season, but we have to remain humble and work incredibly hard to beat BU on Friday,” Stistrup Petersen wrote. “If we continue to work hard and push ourselves, we will continue the momentum going into Friday’s game.”
