Here’s how Drexel’s soccer team defied the odds to now host postseason play in its ‘fortress’

Despite facing the headwinds of a coaching carousel that saw the Drexel men’s soccer program on its third coach in as many seasons, the program qualified for the playoffs, playing some of its best soccer in recent memory.

The Dragons finished second in the Coastal Athletic Association, their highest regular-season finish since 2013.

Under first-year coach Dave Castellanos, the Dragons have built a team that has blended an experienced veteran corps with an infusion of new talent. According to senior defender Ori Arzi, the team overcame offseason instability due to the strong culture within the locker room.

“The stability came naturally just because we’re such a united group. The atmosphere in the locker room is so friendly and supportive that new guys who come in and the new coaches who come in always fit right in, and it’s kind of contagious,” Arzi said.

The strength in the locker room has translated onto the field, with Arzi spotting a noticeable difference in the team’s play.

“The difference between this year and last year is our ability to close out games that were a little more challenging for us, like Delaware or William and Mary, being able to find that one goal that will shake the result in our favor,” he said.

The Dragons’ ability to find favorable results in conference games this season is what ultimately earned them the right to have the CAA Tournament come through Vidas Field, the home of Drexel soccer.

» READ MORE: Courtesy of senior forward Dominick Bachstein, Drexel soccer found its spark at the perfect time

Since 2020, the Dragons have an almost unbelievable 24-2-7 record at Vidas. The secret to their success depends on whom you ask, but the feeling that Vidas is a “fortress” is unanimous.

“There’s this indescribable feeling that we have when we play at Vidas. We have confidence when we step on that field,” said Patrick Short, who was named CAA co-midfielder of the year. “We’ve been lucky enough to perform well there and have extra confidence when we play there.”

Says Davis, “When people come to Vidas, they know what’s in store for them. They know that we are a very, very difficult team to break down when it comes to Vidas, that we put up lots of goals at Vidas. We instill an amount of fear in other teams’ eyes that’s hard to top.”

For Castellanos, “the Vidas effect” is the manifestation of a half-decade of work that began under former coach Michael Marchiano aimed at creating a mental advantage for the program.

“The game is 90% mental, and I think the field is mental,” Castellanos said. “Just speaking in technical terms, a player could play on any surface. … I think we’ve made this, mentally, a really challenging place for people to come into and play. I just think people are like, ‘Man, I’m coming into Philly, the sights and sounds are a little bit different.’ It’s really, really mental and I want it to stay that way.”

With home-field advantage and momentum at their backs, the Dragons are confident that they don’t have to do anything extraordinary to win the tournament; they just have to be as good as they have shown that they are.

“We have a group of guys who are just amazing and play the game at a very, very high level. If we’re able to stay consistent, keep our heads down, and stay locked in for 90 minutes each game, I can see a lot of good things happening for us,” said Dominick Bachstein, who received national player of the week honors earlier this season and was named first-team All-CAA.

Arzi added, “If we stay together and match [our opponents’] intensity, we have the quality to win every game.”

Castellanos has a more philosophical approach to what will bring the Dragons success in the postseason, urging his team not to let the bright lights of a big moment push them out of character.

“Just stay steady,” he said. “Play simple and play to our strengths. Each player has their own particular strength, each player has a weakness. It’s really important that throughout the season, not only individually but collectively, there’s a real honest reflection of who we are individually and then collectively who we are as a team because in that answer, you’ll find who you’re not.

“The second that you try to overcomplicate the game and say, ‘Oh, I thought I could do this,’ no, stay calm and stay to your skill set,” said Castellanos. “The more we can do that and the more we can manage our emotions, the better we’re going to be not only on Sunday against UNCW, but hopefully next Saturday and then hopefully in the NCAA tournament.”

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