South Kent Soccer Alumni Game Returns for 2025 Alumni Weekend
There’s a buzz on the Hillside — and it’s not just the usual spring energy. Over 25-30 alumni players are already talking, texting, and preparing to lace up for the return of the South Kent Alumni Soccer Game, coming back for Alumni Weekend 2025. With deep roots and an impressive legacy, South Kent Soccer continues to unite generations of players in a celebration of the sport and the values it teaches.
Soccer has long held a special place at South Kent School, although it wasn’t always so. In the School’s early days, fall was reserved for football, while hockey, baseball, tennis, and crew made up the rest of the athletic calendar. Occasional experiments with skiing, golf, and soccer came and went — until soccer finally found its footing.
That breakthrough came in the fall of 1934, when pick-up games became so popular that Mr. Cunningham proposed forming an official team. Fourteen boys signed up, and by November, South Kent was playing matches against Salisbury and Kent. The 1935 yearbook proudly documented those early games:
“On November 27 we journeyed north to test our ability at Salisbury. Besides enjoying ourselves tremendously, we defeated our plucky opponents by a score of three to one… The last game here was played against Kent. We can make little comment on the game except that Kent was far superior and deserved the victory of eight to one. Mr. Cunningham did a fine job and we thank him for it.”
That spirit of resilience and camaraderie laid the foundation for a soccer tradition that has only grown stronger.
In 1975, during South Kent’s coeducational years, the School even fielded a girls’ soccer team — a team that included future University of Connecticut standout Kathleen Lindenmeyer, who helped launch the first-ever women’s soccer program at UConn.
Fast forward to 2004, when soccer took center stage once again under the leadership of Coach Owen Finberg. The program flourished, winning NEPSSA championships in 2006 and 2009. Today, Coach Colin Hodge carries the torch, restoring the program’s prominence and continuing to build on its proud tradition.
“The return of the alumni game is more than just a match,” says Head Coach Colin Hodge. “It’s a celebration of our shared identity — the effort, the culture, and the brotherhood that make South Kent Soccer so special.”
Longtime coach and faculty member Jesse Brennan also remains a guiding presence, helping to instill South Kent’s “Trinity of Values” — Simplicity, Self-Reliance, and Directness of Purpose — into every player.
“When you see alumni come back, it reminds you that this program doesn’t end at graduation,” says alumni lead, Alex Quinones. “The lessons learned on this field stay with you, and the bonds only grow stronger over time.”
South Kent’s soccer legacy now spans over 200 alumni players who have gone on to compete in college and beyond — including at the highest levels of the NCAA and the professional game. In the 2024 season alone:
- Ethan Prescott and Marco Silva helped lead Marshall University to the NCAA Division I Final Four.
- Nick Washington (Providence) and Maclin Stover (Fordham) also made the NCAA Tournament.
- In Division III, Eujin Chae and Will Sawin (Middlebury), Adrian Trott, Luke Peltz (Bowdoin), and Aiden Heffner all advanced to postseason play, with Middlebury reaching the Final Four.
South Kent Soccer is more than a team — it’s a family, bonded across decades by shared goals, hard work, and a love of the game. We can’t wait to welcome alumni back to the Hillside in 2025 for what promises to be an unforgettable match and reunion.
Since its inception in 1971, soccer has been a cornerstone of athletic excellence at South Kent School, establishing itself as one of the premier boys’ soccer programs in the country. From humble beginnings to national championships, the journey of South Kent soccer is a testament to dedication, skill, and a commitment to excellence on and off the field.
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