Men's Soccer Concludes Season at Grand View, Reflects on Growth in 2025

DES MOINES, Iowa — The Graceland University men's soccer team concluded its 2025 season on Wednesday night, falling 4-0 to Grand View University in a Heart of America Athletic Conference matchup at the Dennis Young Field in Des Moines.

With the result, Graceland closes the season at 3-11-3 overall and 2-9-2 in conference play. Grand View improves to 12-2-3 overall and 8-2-2 in Heart action, securing the top spot in the Heart standings.

The Yellowjackets held Grand View scoreless through the opening 40 minutes and produced a competitive stretch to open the second half. However, the Vikings capitalized on late set pieces and transition moments, scoring three goals after the 49th minute to secure the win.

Graceland managed six total shots, including four on goal. Ashton Adrian, Kaden Edwards, Mario Salinas, and Joaquin Wesner each placed efforts on target, while Yuta Hirano tallied six saves in goal to close out his season as the Yellowjackets' starting goalkeeper.

Grand View led 1-0 at halftime following a 41st-minute goal by Tim Schoorlemmer, assisted by Wilmont Manneh. The Vikings added three more in the second half, with goals from Herman Furumo (49'), Daniel Sandoval (81'), and Manneh (84').

Graceland showed bright moments in the attack. Edwards and Salinas each produced second-half shots that required saves from Grand View keeper Luis Helm. Cale Williams added a late effort wide right, while the Yellowjackets earned three corner kicks in the match and were active in pressing the Grand View back line early.

Though the result was not in their favor, the Yellowjackets close the season with several encouraging developments for the future. The program saw 13 freshmen make their Graceland debuts this season and eight different players score their first career goals. The squad also battled through several narrow defeats, including five matches decided in the final two minutes of play.

"While it might not appear so in the records book, it's been a great year for the program," said head coach Bryan Courtney. "There are so many positives to be proud of. Eight different players scored their first university goal this year and 13 freshmen made their debut as a Yellowjacket."

Courtney pointed to several foundational pieces, including junior Andrew Porter, who emerged as one of the team's most consistent contributors and vocal leaders from his defensive role. Freshman Kaden Edwards earned Heart Conference Offensive Player of the Week for week three, giving Graceland its first conference player of the week honor in several seasons.

The Yellowjackets also celebrated the contributions of their graduating players. Mario Salinas concluded his career as the team's top offensive threat and finished among the conference leaders in goals and assists. Seniors Matthew Stine, Dither Beltran, and David Hopfer were praised by the coaching staff for their resilience and consistent effort.

"We will certainly miss our seniors who gave so much to the program," Courtney said. "Mario led our program in goals and ranked highly in the Heart. Matthew, Dither, and David battled all season and showed younger players what it means to compete and win at this level."

Graceland's 2025 season also included one of its brightest moments in years, when the Yellowjackets earned a 1-1 draw against No. 2-ranked MidAmerica Nazarene on Senior Night this past Saturday. That result marked the program's first positive result against a top-five opponent in recent memory and showcased the team's growth over the course of the season.

"Clearly our highlight of the year will be the cohesion and camaraderie rebuilt as a program," said Courtney. "A close second would be tying the number two team in the country. We took big steps toward our goal of getting back to being a nationally ranked powerhouse. Stay tuned — the best is yet to come."

Though Graceland finishes near the bottom of the Heart standings, the foundation set this fall provides optimism. With the majority of the roster eligible to return, and valuable minutes gained across the board, the Yellowjackets expect to carry their late-season momentum into offseason training and into the 2026 campaign.

This was the final match of the 2025 season.

For more information on Graceland men's soccer and all Graceland athletics, visit GUjackets.com.