Greetings from Lewiston! I hope you and your families are doing well and enjoying the start of spring. Spring in Lewiston consisted of 5 inches of snow last week…the warm weather will come soon! 

We are in the homestretch of the ’25 winter semester on the Bates campus. Our seniors are wrapping up their final weeks as college students, the juniors are enjoying their study abroad semester, and the sophomores and first-years are gearing up for final exams as we approach the end of our spring season. There have been many exciting program updates over the last few months. Read below, hear more about these updates, and learn about different ways to engage with the Bates Men’s Soccer program in 2025.

2025 Spring Season

Given a recent NESCAC ruling, we are permitted to have a spring season that consists of 10 practices and six leadership sessions (team meetings). We are 75% of the way through the spring season, and the group on campus has been doing well. They are showing a strong level of commitment, and are competing with energy and enthusiasm on the field, in the weight room, and at the early morning speed and agility sessions. These are all positive signs and will put us in a good position to take another big step forward as a team in the fall of 2025. 

Alumni Mentorship Program LAUNCH!

Thanks to the work of Aleks Marceau ’19 and Rex Ah Chu ’25, we officially launched the Bates Men’s Soccer Alumni Mentorship Program this spring. This exciting new initiative aims to connect current student-athletes with our accomplished alumni network to provide guidance and support and, ultimately, help our players land fulfilling jobs after graduation. With nearly 70 participating alumni, 30 active players, and the coaching staff, our journey begins over 100 Bobcats strong.

If you would like to be involved in the Mentorship Program, please reach out to me. Check out the Men’s Soccer Alumni Database. Thank you again to Aleks and Rex for their work behind the scenes to launch the program, and thank you to all of our participating alumni!

Save the Date | Upcoming Events

FBA Giving Challenge (April 30-May 2):
From April 30-May 2, we’re celebrating Bates Athletics through a campus-wide giving challenge. We are aiming to raise $35,000 for the Bates Men’s Soccer program, and have already gained some sizeable matching donations from our alumni. We are preparing to take another large step forward as a program in the fall of 2025, and your support can help us get there. Please keep your eyes out for additional information on the FBA Challenge in the coming weeks. I encourage you to please make an early donation for the FBA challenge.

Alumni Game (Saturday, September 20):
We will be hosting an alumni game with the Women’s Soccer program on Saturday, September 20. The team will kick off vs. Wesleyan at 2pm, and we will have a postgame reception after the game. Below is a tentative schedule for the day: 

• 8:30am- Men’s and Women’s Soccer Alumni Game
• 11am– Women’s Soccer vs. Wesleyan (Russell Street Field)
• 12pm– Men’s Soccer Alumni Tailgate
• 2pm– Men’s Soccer game vs. Wesleyan (Russell Street Field)
• 5pm– Postgame Reception 

Thank you all for your continued support of the program. We have gained a lot of momentum over the last year, on and off the field, and we are looking forward to continue building on this momentum throughout 2025. Our goals are to compete for NESCAC playoff berths, NCAA appearances, and championships in the fall and for years to come. The culture and identity we are creating within the program will help us get there. 

Have a great spring and I hope to see you at an Alumni Event this year! 

Go Bobcats!

Ben Brewster
Bates College Men’s Soccer, Head Coach