The college soccer season is a week away from starting, and three area teams in particular will have some good acts to live up to this fall.

The Colby and Thomas men’s teams and Maine Farmington women’s team all won conference championships last year, and as a result made the Division III national tournament.

For the Colby men, it was a particularly historic trip. By beating Williams in penalties, the Mules won their first NESCAC championship, and they fought to penalties again before falling in the first round of the national tournament to Montclair State.

Coach Ewan Seabrook said the breakthrough has had a lasting impact on the players on this year’s roster.

“It’s given that group a ton of confidence in the process,” he said. “The training process, sticking with things, how hard you work for each other. These are all things that stand you in good steed for the season ahead.”

Seabrook said, however, that the team hasn’t been content to bask in the accomplishments of one fall. Instead, the Mules are trying to make such outcomes the standard.

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“I think we’ve got a young group which learned some really amazing things and important lessons, but are also really hungry to establish themselves,” he said. “If this program’s going to take the next step, (we have to) say ‘Yeah, it’s legitimate to have these aspirations to make the national tournament every year.’ ”

Seabrook might have the team to live up to those newer, loftier expectations. The Mules lost their starting keeper as well as three starting backs, but have the depth and talent up front to play a more aggressive, attacking style.

“I think this group can be different, just based on some of the personnel,” he said. “It’s just a different look. I’d like to think we have the ability to score some goals. I think we’ve got some out-and-out goal scorer-type strikers that we probably haven’t had in the past, and those guys are difficult to get.”

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Last year had the same out-of-nowhere feeling for the UMF women, who were scuffling through a 5-12 season before catching fire in the postseason. The Beavers beat Northern Vermont-Johnson, Maine Maritime and then Thomas for the NAC title before falling to Middlebury in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

“In the tough moments that come in every season, for every team, the experience of going through adversity last year and still finding success along the way is going to be really powerful for us,” coach Molly Wilkie said. “It’s less about the championship and it’s more about ‘Wow, we got through some really tough times last year, and still were able to push through it.’ That’s the piece for me that’s really important to hold on to.”

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UMF salvaged a season that appeared to be heading nowhere, and Wilkie said she’s noticed an uplifted mentality among the players coming back.

“There’s an excitement and an energy, that they want to get back to that place,” she said. “It was so satisfying, it was so fulfilling to be there. Right away, I’ve seen that. Even in some of the grueling practices we’ve had, the energy and the way they’ve supported each other has been awesome. I think that’s a little bit different from years past. They can better visualize what the end looks like.”

UMF has some key players coming back as it pursues a title repeat. Leading scorer McKenna Brodeur (22 goals, eight assists) returns for her junior year, while keeper Callie Hammer and center backs Morgann Tortorella and Eden Leblanc are back to lead the defense.

“I definitely think we have more depth,” Wilkie said. “Anyone on our roster could be in a game at any point and do well and be competitive.”

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NCAA berths are hardly new at Thomas. Under coach Chris Parsons, the Terriers have reached the national stage four times in eight years, all as the result of NAC titles. And this year, the feeling regarding last season wasn’t joy at reaching the first round, but frustration with not getting further.

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“We were a little disappointed last year that we were not able to compete in the national tournament, as far as competing in the game,” said Parsons, whose team lost to Connecticut College 4-0. “We had a lot of young players that were influenced by where they were … and it was a little overwhelming.”

With the season about to begin, Parsons said that feeling hasn’t faded.

“The returning players, they have a bad taste in their mouths,” he said. “These guys are really hungry to not only get there, but to do something in the tournament.”

Parsons likes their ability to fulfill that determination. Josh Morrissey is back after tying for the team lead with six goals, Kyle Patterson returns after starting 16 games up front as a freshman, and the back group — which got a key addition in former Maranacook standout and transfer Hayden Elwell — might be the strongest and deepest part of the team.

“We feel really good about 13 or 14 (players),” Parsons said. “My first 11, I can’t really differentiate because we’re very strong in the back, in the middle and up in our forward line.”

Still, Parsons knows some work remains to be done to ensure that another trip to the nationals would result in a different outcome.

“For us to be able to get to that level, we’re going to have to increase the speed of play for our team,” he said, “and be able to play under a tremendous amount of pressure.”

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