When the Colgate men's soccer team began the 2022 season at 16th-ranked Providence, the Raiders were a heavy underdog.
 
A preseason poll picked Colgate to finish at the bottom of the Patriot League. Last season, the team went 0-18 with eight one-goal defeats.
 
The winless season was a tough experience for everyone in the program. But it became a source of motivation, pushing coaches and student-athletes to be better.
 
After an off-season of hard work and reflection, and setting new values for the program, the Raiders vowed to defy preseason predictions.
 
Colgate won the Providence game 3-2. But that was only the beginning. Ultimately, the Raiders would finish 7-4-7 on the season, going undefeated on the road, with victories over two top-25 teams.
 
They finished third in the Patriot League and advanced to the playoffs. Despite losing to American in the quarterfinals, there was much to feel good about.
 
"I am incredibly proud of this team and what we were able to accomplish this year," said co-captain Bobby Foose '23, an environmental economics and Spanish major from Bethesta, Md. "After the 2021 season going the way it did and a spring where we worked day in and day out to improve, taking down No. 16 Providence on their home field was when we saw all of our hard work come together.

 
"We played our hearts out in that game and put Colgate Soccer back on the map. The emotions of winning that game and starting the year on the right foot combined with articles saying the game was a fluke was the perfect motivation for the season and we took it with us."
 
The bounce-back season helped to restore pride in Colgate Soccer, which has seen plenty of success under Erik Ronning, who's in his 18th season as the John W. Beyer head men's soccer coach.
 
Under Ronning, the program has made six appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including a run to the Sweet 16 in 2017. The program has won three league regular-season titles and qualified for the Patriot League tournament 13 times prior to the 2022 season.
 
Ronning, a two-time Patriot League Coach of the Year, is known for building a program that emphasizes defense, unity,  and tough, gritty soccer. His teams are generally resilient and difficult to beat.
 
Many factors contributed to the team's dramatic turnaround. At the start of the spring semester in January, the coaches met with every student-athlete to build relationships and find ways to maximize their potential, Ronning said.
 
Knowing talent was not an issue, the coaches focused on changing the players' mentality, improving the culture and setting new values. The team had to establish an identity before it could improve on the field. 

 
"In understanding what's important to our student-athletes, it enabled us to do what we had to do from a soccer perspective — run harder, work harder, play with a higher level of intensity, play with more aggression, while being great teammates. We created a challenging yet enjoyable environment and raised program standards. Everyone from top to bottom bought in, and really just focused on the process of being a tough team to beat," Ronning said.
 
Staff continuity was also very important in the resurgence of the program. While Assistant Coach Ricky Brown '17 continued to grow as a coach, Scott Bratt was also hired as an assistant to complete the staff. Bratt gelled well with Ronning and Brown, while bringing a fresh voice, new ideas, and an intense passion for the game and educating student-athletes. 
 
Along with a changed mentality, this group of young student-athletes also gained another year of experience. During the offseason, they worked incredibly hard to improve in every aspect of the game from strength, to fitness, to technique and tactics. Through this process, the group steadily improved, team unity grew tremendously, the culture improved, and everyone believed. 
 
"I feel honored to have been a part of this group," Ronning said. "They accomplished a lot this year and have laid a foundation that we can build on for great success in the future. I'm so happy for the seniors going out the way they did. Every one of them made significant contributions to the team's success. We would not have been able to achieve what we achieved without their influence on and off the field."

 
Injuries to key players contributed to the team's struggles in 2021. But this year, the program remained healthy for the most part. 
 
Max Edelstein '23, an international relations and economics major from San Francisco, said the team felt a strong sense of duty to restore the program's image and product on the field after the winless season.
 
"I think there were many reasons for the turnaround, starting with an incredible amount of hard work put in during the spring and summer, a development of a positive culture, and the creation of a soccer identity to rally around," Edelstein said.
 
"I think the talent in our team has always been there. But it was a matter of finding the right chemistry."
 
Corey Finchum '23, a co-captain and mathematical economics major from Beaverdam, Va., said student-athletes often referenced the winless season at practices and games to fire up the team.
 
"This year we went into games truly believing that we could and would win the game no matter the circumstance," he said. "I'm extremely proud of everyone on the team for our performance this year.
 
"Everyone contributed to our success in some way. Although this season didn't end how we wanted it to, I'm confident that the coaches and players are going to build off the success we had in 2022."