Elon Phoenix men's soccer

The 1970s: first steps

Elon men's soccer played their inaugural season in the fall of 1972^[4] , more precisely on 13 October, when they earned a 2–1 victory over Guilford College^[5] Charles Harris served as the Fightin' Christians' first head coach^[6][7]

Elon competed in the NAIA as a member of the Carolinas Conference (CIAC). Faced with the challenge of building a program virtually from scratch, Coach Harris and the Fightin' Christians had mixed results. After debuting with a 2–1 victory over Greensboro College on October 13, 1972, the team would lose its last four games to finish the inaugural season with a 1–4 record. By the 1977 season, Elon was still seeking its first winning-season in men's soccer. The Charles Harris era set a 16–40–4 cumulative record in 6 seasons.^[8]

A 6–6 (2–4 CIAC) record in 1976 stood as the best season in the brief history of Elon soccer as Steve Ballard took over as head coach in the Fall of 1978. Coach Ballard and the Fightin' Christians would need just two seasons to better that mark and subsequently take the program to the next level. The team struggled during Ballard's rookie year as head coach, finishing the year with a 2–11–1 (0–6 CIAC) record. The Fightin' Christians rebounded in 1979 to finish the decade with the first winning season in program history with an 8–6–2 (2–3–1 CIAC) record. Elon also qualified for the NAIA District 26 Playoffs that season, and though they were defeated by High Point 5–0, the 1979 team proved to those outside the program that Elon soccer had arrived. The decade set a total record of 26–57–7^[8]

The 1980s: program growth

The 1980s brought more "firsts" and continued growth for Elon soccer. The 1980 campaign marked the first winning season in CIAC play for the Fightin' Christians as the team went 6–1 in conference matches (8–8 overall). Following the CIAC success of 1980, Elon would have just one losing record in conference play (in 1986) until they left the CIAC following the 1988 season.^[8]

The winning ways of the 80s were not limited to CIAC matches. Elon made the NAIA District 26 Playoffs seven times from 1980 to 1988. This included the 1985 team which offensive went 13–3–1 (6–1–1 CIAC) and scored 57 goals. The team went on an 11-game unbeaten streak (a figure that is still tied for the Elon record), and amassed eight school records that include: goals scored (57), goals per match (3.35), assists (54), assists per match (3.18), points (168), points per match (9.88), shots (399), and shots per match (23.5). Despite all those records, Elon fell 1–0 to High Point in the playoffs. This marked the third time Elon had been defeated by High Point in the district 26 playoffs since 1980.^[8]

The 1987 squad, under the direction of head coach Steve Ballard, is considered to be one of the best in Elon soccer history. After underperforming in their 1986 campaign, finishing 9–8–1 (3–4–1 CIAC) and losing to Guilford in PKs in the playoffs, the 1987 team aimed to show significant improvements from the previous year. The 1987 Fightin' Christians went 16–3–1 (6–1–1 CIAC) and defeated High Point 1–0 to win the NAIA District 26 championship. Despite losing 1–0 to West Virginia Wesleyan in the NAIA Area VII Tournament, the team still had one of the most outstanding seasons in program history. Their 16 victories, .825 win percentage, and 11 game winning/unbeaten streak are all still Elon records (or shared Elon records).^[8]

Elon's final year as a member of the NAIA in 1988 ended with the Fightin' Christians claiming another District 26 Championship and finishing with a record of 14–4–2 (4–2–2 CIAC). First-year head coach Rob Brewer, much like Ballard the year before, was winning with defense. The 1988 team still sets the Elon single season standard for goals against average (.75) and fewest goals allowed (12). They rode this prolific defense all the way to the second round of the NAIA Area VII Regional Tournament, where they ultimately fell to Alderson-Broaddus 3–0.^[8]

From a scorer offense in 1985 to stifling defense in 1987 and 1988, the teams of the mid 80s set new records for the competition. The cliche "defense wins championships" came true and Elon won its back to back District 26 Championships. In fact, the 1987 and 1988 squads shared the record for most shutouts in a season (9) until 2009.^[8]

1988 signaled the end of an era for Elon soccer, as the school would transition to NCAA Division II and the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) in 1989. The 1980s decade set a record of 103–61–14.^[8]

The 1990s: from NAIA to NCAA

Change was not initially kind to the Elon soccer program. The program's success of the late 1980s in the NAIA did not carry over into the 1990s in NCAA Division II.^[8]

Head coach Rob Brewer led the Fightin' Christians to winning seasons in 1992 and 1995 with final records of 10–5–2 (5–2) SAC and 9–8 (2–6 SAC), respectively. However, those would be the only two seasons in which the team finished with a .500 or better record. In 1996, Mike Reilly took over as head coach in 1996 during a transition to NCAA Division I.^[8]

The team struggled in 1996, Reilly's first year at the helm, and the last season in Division II. After finishing the season winless, (0–13–2, 0–6–1 SAC) and setting a school record for saves made in a season with 248, the Fightin' Christians finished their tenure on SAC and Division II. Elon now embarked on two NCAA-mandated transition years before it could become a full-member of Division I. Elon set a combined record of 7–27–2 from 1997 to 1998.^[8]

The team went 3–14 (0–7 Big South) in 1999, the program's first season as a member of NCAA Division I and the Big South Conference. During those years, the athletics division also adopted the Phoenix mascot. The decade set a record of 51–110–10.^[8]

2000–2004: SoCon

The Phoenix opened the new millennium with a .500 season (10–10, 3–4 Big South), but then followed it up with four consecutive losing seasons. The 2003 squad went for a 6–11–1 overall, including a win vs 25th-ranked South Carolina 1–0. That win marked the first victory by the Phoenix over a nationally ranked team since moving to Division I.^[8]

Head coach Mike Reilly, who had led the team through the transition to NCAA Division I, now led the team as it moved from the Big South to the Southern Conference in 2003, where they remain to this day.^[8]

The first two seasons in the SoCon, 2003 and 2004, proved difficult for the Phoenix. The teams finished 1–5–1 in SoCon play both years, and after five seasons in Division I the Phoenix were still searching for a winning record (both overall and in-conference).^[8]

2005–present

Darren Powell arrived at Elon in 2005 looking to bring some of the success he had enjoyed as a player and assistant coach at UNC-Greensboro to Elon. As a player, Powell helped the Spartans to two NCAA Tournament berths in 1993 and 1994. Later, with Powell serving as an assistant coach, the Spartans posted a 55–26–3 record in Powell's four seasons on the bench. They also became the #1 team in the nation at one point in 2004. For his efforts, Powell was honored as one of the top NCAA Division I assistant coaches by College Soccer News.^[8]

In the first season under Powell's coaching, Elon finished 9–9–2 (4–2–1 SoCon) in 2005. This marked just the second non-losing season for the team since joining Division I. It was also the first winning record in conference play since moving to D1. Powell was honored as the Southern Conference Coach of the Year for 2005. The 2006 squad clinched Elon soccer's first winning season in Division I finishing 10–8–2 (3–3–1 SoCon). The team was also ranked as high as #22 in the Soccer America poll after a 6–1 start, which included a win over then #17 UAB. The Phoenix continued to build in 2007 going 8–7–4 (4–3–0 SoCon) including a tie against top-ranked, and eventual national champion, Wake Forest.^[8]

The 2008 Elon finished the regular season with a perfect 7–0–0 record in-conference (10–9–1 overall). The team entered the SoCon Tournament aiming to secure their first NCAA Tournament bid in program history. After leading 1–0 at the half, the Phoenix fell-apart in the 2nd half allowing four goals to College of Charleston, and Elon's historic season ended with a 4–1 loss. Although the team fell short of its ultimate goal, the SoCon regular season championship was the first DI league title for Elon. Junior midfielder Justin Wyatt was named SoCon Player of the Year, and Coach Powell earned SoCon Coach of the Year honors for the second time.^[8]

Elon started the 2009 season going 0–2–1 in their first three matches, but they would recover to win six of the next eight, a stretch which included 2–1 losses to nationally ranked ACC rivals Wake Forest and Duke. The team also picked up just the second win over an ACC opponent since 1999 with a 2–0 defeat of Clemson. Matches against ACC teams such as West Virginia and Charlotte (among others) are a part of Coach Powell's continued efforts to schedule tough non-conference matches before going into SoCon.^[9]

The team finished 4–2–0 in a wide-open season in the Southern Conference (SoCon). Elon ultimately finished second, behind Wofford, in the final regular season standings. With a record of 9–7–2 heading into the SoCon Tournament, the Phoenix would likely have to win in order to secure a berth in the NCAA Tournament. A 2–0 win over Charleston led them to play v Wofford for the title. The Terriers, playing on their home field as the #1 seed, jumped out to a 2–0 lead before the Phoenix were able to get one back. Wofford was able to hold on and took the game, SoCon title, and automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament with a 2–1 victory.^[9]

Conference titles

Elon won three consecutive conference titles playing in the SoCon in 2011, 2012, and 2013.^[10] In 2025, the team won their fourth conference title and the first in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) tournament after defeating Stony Brook 3–0.^[11]

Current roster

As of Aug 2026^[12]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

More information No., Pos. ...

No. Pos. Nation Player 0 GK  USA Marshall Martin 1 GK  USA Drew Hartman 2 DF  USA Caleb Frakes 3 DF  ENG Joe Taylor 4 DF  DEN Magnus Jacobsen 5 DF  MEX Carlos Levy 6 DF  USA Weston Jonke 7 FW  BAH Jordin Wilson 8 MF  IRL Daire McCarthy 9 FW  GER Dominik Renz 10 FW  CHI Martin Kozak 11 MF  USA Alex Wharton 12 MF  USA Oscar Tonidandel

No. Pos. Nation Player 13 GK  ENG Mikolaj Lenarcik 14 DF  JPN Kosei Sasaki 15 DF  NOR Tønnes Daland 16 MF  ITA Diego Thompson 17 MF  GER Henry Mertsch 18 FW  USA Will Dunn 19 MF  DEN Noah Sonne Kargo 20 FW  USA Mohamed Kallon 21 MF  USA JP Quigley 22 FW  USA Robbie Reeves 23 MF  USA Jahmir Flowers 24 DF  USA Corbyn Wendorf 26 GK  USA Tristan D'Adamo

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Players in the MLS

The SoCon has a rich soccer tradition, having produced players such as US Internationals Clint Dempsey and Ricardo Clark (both from Furman). One soccer writer, while comparing each of the NCAA soccer conferences to a European professional league, compared the SoCon to Super League Greece stating: "Watch the league, you will see good players. Just no one outside the conference will believe that until they make (the) big stage".^[13]

Elon's Steven Kinney was selected by the Chicago Fire with the 45th Overall Pick in the third round of the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. After graduating from Elon University in December 2009, he became Elon's first player to sign for an MLS club. Said Fire Technical Director Frank Klopas: "Steven Kinney has proven himself during the preseason to have the passion and talent we need on the pitch as we rebuild our defense [...] we're happy to have him now as part of the Fire family."^[14]

A native of Norcross, Georgia, Kinney started in 78 games for the Phoenix, and he was named first-team All-Southern Conference three times. During his four seasons at Elon, he anchored a defense that kept 28 clean sheets, including a school record 10 in 2009.^[14] Kinney was also the first Elon men's soccer player to earn Academic All-America status, being named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America third team in November.^[15]

"I am truly blessed and honored to have this opportunity to continue my playing career," Kinney commented. "I have to give a large thanks to the Elon soccer family for helping me reach the goal of playing at this level."^[14]

In 2012, two more Phoenix Alumni signed MLS Contracts. 2010 Graduate Clint Irwin signed for the Colorado Rapids, and 2012 Graduate Gabe Latigue signed for the New England Revolution of the MLS in 2012.

All-time top scorers

Source:^[16]

All-Conferences

Coach of the Year

Player of the Year

Freshman of the Year

• 1988 – Marcus Ford (CIAC)
• 1992 – Steve Roark (SAC)
• 1995 – Asi Johnson (SAC)
• 2005 – Kiki Willis (SoCon)
• 2009 – Chris Thomas (SoCon)

All-South Region

All-Americans

NSCAA Scholar All-Americans

• 2008 – Steven Kinney (2nd Team)
• 2009 – Clint Irwin (2nd Team), Steven Kinney (2nd Team)
• 2010 – Clint Irwin (2nd Team)
• 2013 – Jason Waterman (2nd Team), Nathan Dean (3rd Team), Matt Wescoe (3rd Team)

Conference

• SoCon regular season (2): 2008, 2012
• SoCon tournament (3): 2011, 2012, 2013
• CAA regular season (2): 2022, 2024
• CAA tournament (1): 2025