By Ron Smith
August 26, 2026
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) In an age of the transfer portal and name-image-likeness enticements in college sports, Morgan Cathey, head coach for Westmont Men's Soccer, is straining against the current tumultuous seascape of college athletics. As college athletes across the country test the waters for what they perceive as better opportunities for themselves, and college coaches seek to capitalize on the availability of student-athletes formerly off limits, Cathey is trying to build a culture of stability – one in which college students can thrive and mature not only as athletes, but as whole persons.
 
"What we've tried really hard to do here within men's soccer is to maintain the culture and the heritage of our program," stated Cathey. "Our players have to read stories about the history of this place. They have to understand the heritage and the culture that's been set before them.
 
"It's such an honor to be the gatekeeper of the men's soccer program in the current culture of this day that promotes and values instantaneous success. We really have done everything we can to maintain Westmont as an undergraduate program that provides life-transformative experiences. I hope the Westmont community can be proud to say that we haven't given into what culture defines as success."
 
Cathey's definition of success helps to create a community that focuses on growth, maturity, intensity, discipline, passion and brotherhood. Asked to describe this year's team, Cathey said, "We have matured. Having so many returners is worth so much. I would say we are so much more mature than we were at this point last year. We have outstanding student leadership on our team that has put a lot of hard work into their growth and that is where the maturity is most evident.
 
"I would also say we are extremely intense. The competitive drive of this team is really high. Passion is something we talk a lot about. I love how passionate our team is about competing, about winning, about battling. If someone were to come and watch us train, the passion, the energy they would feel is the same as it is in games. It is a huge part of our success."
 
"We are also far more disciplined as a team. On the field, that comes across in how we engage with the opponent. It also comes across in how fit our players are – both mentally and physically. They choose the hard work and I think that is a sign of a really good team."
 
Those attributes of Westmont Men's Soccer are fostered in an atmosphere of interconnectedness.
 
"If I were to highlight the special parts of our team culture, it would be that we really value our relationships and the brotherhood that we share. We are very close. The players are very connected to each other. I think our new guys coming in feel so free to be themselves because they are accepted."
 
Cathey is building a culture in which student-athletes enjoy the stability of long-term bonds with both each other and their coaches. Of the 30 players on the 2026 roster, 23 were on last year's team and one is returning from the season before. That leaves six new players, all of whom are freshmen.
 
"I think we were the only team in the West Region that didn't bring in a transfer this year," expressed Cathey. "I think you could make the crazy claim that we are one of the few teams in Division I and II in the whole country that didn't bring in a transfer."
 
That commitment to four-year players is reflective not only of the men's soccer program, but Westmont Athletics as a whole. Of the fall sports, women's soccer returns 25 players and brings in six freshmen. The volleyball roster consists of 14 returning players and four freshmen. Neither team includes a transfer. The men's and women's cross country teams tally a combined roster of 53, all of whom are either returners or freshmen except for one junior transfer from a community college and one athlete who transferred to Westmont but did not compete in intercollegiate athletics at her previous school.
 
The men's soccer program is built around the values and mission of both Westmont College and Westmont Athletics. The common goal is to facilitate the growth of students in every aspect of life – academically, athletically, spiritually and socially.
 
THE ROSTER
 
Goalkeepers
Returning to defend the net is senior Aidan Strickler who started 13 of the Warriors ' games last season.
 
"Aidan has done a really good job to grow and mature," said Cathey. "He's someone who I think has a  special ability when it comes to shot stopping. His positioning, his ability to block and be big and make it difficult for the opponent to score a goal is an outstanding part of his game. He's grown a ton in how he understands our game model and how to become better in the build-up of play."
 
Also returning as goalkeepers are junior Tanner Shum who saw action in two games last season and senior Ulises Valez Lazaro. Joining the net protection crew this season is freshman Isaac Jimenez, a Santa Barbara native from Dos Pueblos High School.
 
"I think our other three goalkeepers are very competitive. They are all knocking on the door and providing some real quality, which has been great to see. Tanner has a lot of experience now under his belt and is doing very well for us. Uli and Isaac are really special goalkeepers in their own right. They will provide some great competition for Aidan and Tanner."
 
Defenders
"I think where we have improved the most as a group is in the back line," assessed Cathey. "That group has taken such great strides and we are really happy about that."
 
Among the returners in the back row are Kristan Johnson (KJ), Logan Race and Barrett Goodman. Goodman returns to the team after not playing last season.
 
"Barrett brings his calm presence and his ability to progress the ball for us in possession," offered Cathey. "That is such a weapon and a great aspect of his game. KJ has solidified himself for us as a central defender. In the last five games of the season, he started to hit his stride. He had a great spring and he has had a great start in our preseason, especially on the defensive side. Logan provides such a strong defensive presence.
 
Also returning to the defensive lineup are Corbin Kuhn and Jasper Ring.
 
"Corbin has continued to improve in every segment that we have, and so he's now playing at a really high level as well," reflected Cathey. "So we feel like we have four top central defenders in those guys, which is the first time since I've been here that I can say that. Jasper hasn't been able to fully train yet, but he has shown a ton of growth and we're excited about getting him fit and up to speed because we think he can also provide a lot of quality for us in the position."
 
At outside back, Cathey has penciled in senior captain Cash Anderholt, freshman Thiago Valerio (nicknamed 'Turbo') who hails from Rancho Santa Margarita, and sophomores Tiago Aranibar and Chase Seager.
 
"Our full back position is in a good place with Cash and Turbo on the right side, and Aranibar and Chase on the left. All four of them have had great starts to the preseason and are playing the best we've seen them play."
 
Midfielders
"Where we are the youngest, but have so much talent, is in the defensive midfield players and the box-to-box midfield players," reported Cathey. "Beside Jackson Obleda and Joey Angelo, we are very young. But I also think they are players that have so much quality. Cooper Matthews has been a huge standout for us this past spring and into the preseason. I think he is going to have a great season."
 
Regarding Angelo, Cathey said, "He was probably our most improved and most impactful player in the spring and he matured a ton from his first fall. He's such a massive leader and presence for us. The leadership of Jackson is really great for us in that position.
 
"The guys we have competing with those three are equally good. It's really fun to see guys like Andrew Martinez (from Canyon Country) come in as a freshman. He'll be pushing those guys as will Jordan Cruijff-Beane. Jordan has such a high soccer intelligence and such a high technical tool belt that we can't wait for him to get back healthy and be playing."
 
"Our two attacking midfield players – Cole Lomeli and Matthew Shimizu – have both had great starts to this preseason," said Cathey. "Cole is playing at a really high level right now. It has been great to see how much he has improved and grown. He is so eager to learn and grow. I think he's matured a lot and is other-focused, wanting to see how he can help the team. His work rate and work ethic have been so evident. He provides a great quality for us and we are hopeful that he can fulfill a lot of the goal contributions that we will miss due to Erik Guerrero graduating. He is more than capable of doing that."
 
Guerrero was the team's leading scorer last season with seven goals to go along with six assists. Lomeli tallied four goals and three assists.
 
Forwards
"Obviously, we return some top players at the forward position with Weston Ash, Luis Cortes, Leonel Olivo Ortiz and Michael Wilhelm," pointed out Cathey.
 
Ash tallied six goals and recorded three assists during the 2025 campaign while Olivo Ortiz produced two goals and three assists.
 
"We are very deep at the center forward and wing positions," noted Cathey. Two freshmen from last year, Micah Malijan and Gonzalo Hoyuela, struggled to break into the rotation. The difference in one year for those two guys has been incredible to see. They are so aggressive with great work rates and high energy. In the preseason, they are providing goals and assists.
 
"Then, we have two new international players in Julius Oehmichen (Dresden, Germany) and Alvaro Carnicer (Madrid, Spain). Their qualities are awesome and we are super happy with what they have shown early in the season. I think every day they become more comfortable.
 
"Also joining us this year is freshman Donovan Espino from Oxnard who plays center forward. He's done really well in the first weeks.
 
"It is a really deep team and it's the first year since I've been here that we have the individual quality to score many goals. We have the guys that can score from all of the front three positions."
 
THE SCHEDULE


The season officially kicks off on Thursday, August 27 with Westmont taking on Simon Fraser in Burnaby, British Columbia. Then on Saturday, Westmont will face off against Saint Martin's (Wash.) while still north of the border.
 
"Simon Fraser has brought in some good, mature players – including some Division I transfers who are very good and very experienced," observed Cathey. "I think that they also return a good group from last year. We know them pretty well, but they have a new coach, which obviously means there will be some changes. They are going to be dangerous. That is the most important game of the season right now because it's our next one. We are really looking forward to that game.
 
"Playing Saint Martin's early in the season is always a challenge because even though their record the last few years hasn't been great, every team starts a season believing in what can be. We've always faced them in the early part of the season and they've been one of the most challenging opponents we have early on. I like how they play and I like their coach a lot. It will be a challenging opening weekend for us."
 
Non-conference play continues with the home opener against Division III opponent La Verne on Tuesday, September 1, before a return trip to the Pacific Northwest to take on Seattle Pacific and Western Washington on September 3 and 5, respectively.
 
"I think that road trip is going to be really challenging," predicted Cathey, "and I think after that road trip we'll have a really clear idea of who we are and what team we have. Then we go into the gauntlet of four very good teams."
 
Westmont will take on three teams from the California Collegiate Athletic Conference, beginning with Cal State East Bay on September 9 and Cal State Los Angeles on September 12 – both at home. Then, Westmont will travel to Cal State San Marcos on September 14 to play the Cougars of Cal State San Marcos, coached by Westmont alumnus Ron Pulvers. Next, Westmont will head to San Diego for a non-conference match-up with Point Loma.
 
"That stretch includes two NCAA tournament teams and two teams that were in the semifinal of the CCAA Tournament last year," said Cathey. "We want to be considered one of the top four teams in the region. After those four games we'll be able to really tell where we're at. I also think we'll be very prepared for our conference opponents. We have planned a difficult schedule with a ton of learning opportunities for us because we really believe that we want to arrive at our first (PacWest) game feeling like we know what to expect from ourselves."
 
Conference play begins in Costa Mesa on Wednesday, September 23 at Vanguard, then continues with home games against Dominican on Saturday, September 26 and at Jessup a week later.
 
On Tuesday, October 6, Westmont returns to non-conference play with a road game at UCLA, which is coached by Westmont alumnus Ryan Jorden.
 
"Tradition, history, heritage – that is what it means to the program to be able to play games like that," said Cathey. "Not many Division II teams get to play against this caliber of opponent. It will be the 28th time we have played UCLA and it is amazing that Ryan opens up that game for us. We will use it as an opportunity to play the majority of our team, but we are going to try and win the game. It's a great opportunity for our guys to play against one of the top teams in the country, in a great environment, and showcase ourselves."
 
Conference play resumes with a flight to Hawaii for games at Hawai'i Pacific, Chaminade and Hawai'i Hilo, October 10-15. A much shorter trip to La Mirada to take on Biola on October 23 will conclude regular season road games.
 
After another non-conference match-up with UC Santa Cruz on October 24, the Warriors will conclude the regular season by hosting Concordia on October 28 and Point Loma on October 31.
 
The top-four teams in the PacWest standings at the end of the regular season will advance to the PacWest Tournament, which will be hosted by Dominican this year in San Rafael.
 
OWNERSHIP
 
As the Warriors prepare for opening day, there is a theme that Cathey has in mind – 'Ownership'. For the coach, 'ownership' means the players knowing about the history of the program and knowing they are part of the ongoing story that is Westmont Men's Soccer.
 
"The players read the stories about the 1972 championship team and the 2008 team that thrived in the midst of the devastating Tea Fire," said Cathey. "They memorize our core values and hold each other accountable to knowing them."
 
It also means embracing a culture that is defined by brotherhood and that encourages teammates to choose to stay together.
 
"There is an article they read from The Athletic that tells about 11 players in the NCAA DI Men's Basketball Sweet 16 that were seniors and that had started their careers as freshman at the same schools," reported Cathey. "That article goes into why they chose to stay. The coach at Purdue talks about culture and what actual riches are – growing in character and relationships.
 
"The culture side of our program is so rich and deep and these guys are bought in," affirmed Cathey.
 
"From the soccer side, ownership is seen in the intensity that they bring to the field every day in practice. Who knows how all of this will end, but as we start this journey, we sail from a really good place."