PASADENA, Calif. — 2022 proved a remarkable year for the Caltech men's soccer team, which achieved one of its best seasons in recent program history. 

Head coach Duncan Gillis' group — made up of four first-years, eight sophomores, eight juniors and six seniors — earned the program's second-highest win total in 30 years after nabbing a 3-0 shutout versus San Diego Christian and a pair of 2-1 victories over La Verne. The group also earned two impressive draws, including one versus the eventual SCIAC-champion Chapman Panthers on Senior Day.

The squad earned its first win just two games into the season as they took on the Hawks of San Diego Christian. With the match scoreless at the break, the Beavers made key adjustments in the second half as they dominated both sides of the pitch. On offense, first-year Jack Myles scored first after being fed the ball from fellow newcomer Ishaan Mantripragada. A ball from senior Samir Johnson to sophomore Andy Dimnaku gave the team its second goal, before junior Rohan Iyer made it three before the final buzzer sounded.

Junior Derek Ing recorded an outstanding eight saves; he played all 90 minutes in net.

The Beavers then entered SCIAC play, where they picked up their first conference point of the season in a gritty 0-0 duel versus Whittier on Oct. 5. Senior Josh Finnerty excelled in the match as he led the Caltech backline; the veteran blocked multiple shots on the evening in addition to diffusing a number of the Poets' efforts to penetrate the Beaver defense.

It was also a significant game for Ing, who again came up big in goal as he recorded his second clean sheet of the season. The Hong Kong native's nine saves were just one shy of his career-high, achieved in 2021 in a 0-0 draw versus Occidental.

The Beavers would drop their next matchup versus the SCIAC-leading team from Chapman, though they bounced right back as they took on the Leopards of La Verne in a clash at home. Mantripragda would strike first in the 16th minute, giving the Beavers a 1-0 lead which stayed for the majority of the game — but not before the team committed an unfortunate penalty in the 83rd minute, allowing La Verne to score off a penalty shot of their own.

With the game tied at one a piece and the clock nearing 90 minutes, it seemed as though the Beavers would have to wait for their first conference win of the season. This, however, was not the case — the team forged their way back, creating one golden opportunity with under two minutes remaining in the contest. It was first-year midfielder and eventual team-MVP Etienne Casanova who scored the winning goal after collecting his own rebound off a missed shot, sending the fans and team into a frenzy. The group held on in the final few moments to earn the victory – their second win over a SCIAC team since 2011.

With just two games to go in the season, the Beavers had big goals, despite one of those two matchups coming against the conference-leading Panthers of Chapman (8-1-4). The Beavers' Orange County opponent came in ranked 25th in the country in the national poll. Despite the strength of their foe, however, the Beavers had major crowd support, who came to cheer on the Institute in the final home game of the year. The squad honored its seniors with a Senior Day ceremony prior to the game.

It was none other than one of those seniors — Finnerty, a defender — who earned the contest's first goal, scoring on a header off a corner kick from Mantripragada. It was the second goal of the veteran's career.

Chapman would find its first goal a few minutes later, though the Beavers immediately responded; Iyer netted his third goal of the year at the 30:40 mark to put the home team back on top. Mantripragada again assisted the score, but this time, he made history — the Saratoga native's five assists on the season earned him the program's all-time single-season assists record. After playing just one year of collegiate soccer, the newcomer is now just four assists shy of breaking the record for career assists.

Caltech would make it a two-goal cushion shortly after the start of the second half, thanks to a nice move and shot from Dimnaku off the feed from Iyer. Chapman would find two more scores before the final whistle, as the two teams settled for a 3-3-draw. The result demonstrated the monumental strides the Beavers had made throughout the season, as they tied a national powerhouse after falling to them earlier in the year.

One week later, the group took on a rematch against La Verne in their final game after topping the Leopards earlier in the season. With the Beavers down a score and the final whistle nearing, the team needed some late-game heroics, and they got just that – an incredibly-placed goal from Dimnaku tied the match up at 1-1 in the 88th minute, before Casanova rocketed a goal into the upper left quadrant with 59 seconds remaining. The team escaped with the victory, making it three straight wins against La Verne going back to 2021.

Between going undefeated in its final two games, the strong play of its first-year class, and an impressive incoming class this fall, the men's soccer program has much to look forward to in 2023. Stay tuned for an official schedule release later this month.

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