While a student at Montreat-Anderson, David Walters was instrumental in starting men’s soccer as a club team. He worked with the college’s administration in hiring a coach, Larry Wilson, ordered uniforms, and scheduled matches. His second, and final year at Montreat (1968) saw the first sanctioned intercollegiate soccer match for the Cavaliers. Walters now the Director of Development at Montreat College played as a striker on the inaugural squad under Wilson who coached basketball, baseball, track, cross-country, tennis, and gymnastics in addition to soccer. In 1999 Walters became the first and only men’s soccer player honored as an inaugural member of the Cavalier Hall of Fame for his contribution to the college and the men’s soccer program. Wilson became the first and only men’s soccer coach to be enshrined into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000. At the spring athletic banquet in 2013 Head Coach David Knapp began a new tradition of honoring a current member of the men’s soccer team with the newly established, David Walters Outstanding Contribution Award given to the best example on our team who exemplifies our three areas, student, athlete, and citizen. Weil am Rhein, Germany, native Stefan Cazzonelli, a sophomore defender was awarded the inaugural honor for his outstanding contribution to the program on and off the field. Fast forward to modern day on the field …
2003 saw the Cavaliers earn their first of five Freshman of the Year honorees when Sherman Gaither was honored as the top freshman in the conference. Two years (2005) later Freetown, Sierra Leone, native Shaka Bangura made his arrival on Gaither Circle, earning AAC Freshman of the Year, his first of four individual honors in the AAC.
2006 it was 6-foot-6 Kingston, Jamaica, native Howard Fisher who earned the Cavaliers only individual conference honor by a keeper when he was named AAC Freshman of the Year. Behind a dominate defense that kept nine shutouts the Cavaliers went onto post a 15-4-1 record including a 6-1-1 AAC mark and advanced to the NAIA Region XII Semifinal despite losing to Milligan in the AAC Tournament Championship match 1-0 in double overtime. In all the Cavaliers played Milligan three times that season, all 1-0 losses.
2007 became a remarkable landmark in Montreat Men’s Soccer History as the Cavaliers earned their first “modern day” NAIA National Coaches Pool ranking of No. 24 behind AAC Player of the Year, Shaka Bangura, AAC Freshman of the Year Troy Watson, and NAIA All-Region XII keeper Howard Fisher. Sadly three forfeits at the end of the year prevented the Cavaliers from playing in the Conference Tournament Championship match and ended the season with a 12-6-1 overall record.
2008 Montreat went on the road and faced NAIA National Coaches Poll No. 1 ranked Lindsey Wilson in Columbia, Ky. After playing regulation to a scoreless stalemate behind six saves from Howard Fisher it was a ball from Jonathan Viana to the Cavaliers reigning AAC Player of the Year Shaka Bangura that shocked the top-ranked Raiders, 1-0 in the 100th minute. The win improved Montreat to 4-1-0 and went onto post a 12-5-2 overall mark, including a 4-2-1 record in conference play as the team moved up the NAIA National Coaches Pool to as high as 11th. Shaka Bangura repeated as the AAC Player of the Year and Porto Alegre, Brazil, native Sami Bin earned the Cavaliers their fourth straight Freshman of the Year honor.
2009 Montreat opened the season with a 1-5-0 record through its first six matches while MC was outscored 23-9 during that stretch. The Cavaliers finished the regular season 7-8-1 before defeating Reinhardt, 2-1, in the AAC Quarterfinal and Milligan, 2-1, in the Semifinals Montreat advanced to the AAC Tournament Final against Bryan behind the AAC Golden Boot winner, Shaka Bangura. After finishing regulation level, 1-1, it was a goal in the 99th minute by Bryan that spoiled the Cavaliers bid for their first AAC Title.
2010 saw the Cavaliers play all of their nine home matches at either Owen High School or Asheville Christian Academy. While at their homes away from home the Cavaliers went a dominating 8-1-0, outscoring opponents 27-5 while keeping five shutouts. A 3-4-0 record in the AAC however saw the Cavs bow out of the AAC Tournament in the opening round against Union.
2011 was a year of extreme highs and lows. After opening the season with a 3-2 loss to Shorter (Ga.) the Cavs responded with a 7-3 thrashing at Tennessee Temple. That win started a four game winning streak stopped short after their win over Emmanuel turned into a forfeit loss. Back-to-back losses to Tennessee Wesleyan and Milligan at home dropped the Cavaliers to 1-3-0 in the AAC. After a win over non-conference foe Trevecca Nazarene the Cavs fell to 1-4-0 in the AAC with their third straight conference loss. The Season turned from bad to good fortune on Senior Day. back-to-back goals by Montreat within seven minutes sent the game to overtime where senior Leo Walker netted the match winner just two minutes into OT. The next match on the road at Bluefield (Va.) the Cavaliers went up 2-0 over the Rams but then needed two overtime periods for Leo Walker to score his second straight overtime game winner. Montreat closed the regular season with its fourth straight win, third overtime victory when Emmanuel Joseph scored both goals in the 2-1 OT win over Reinhardt. A week later the Cavs toped Reinhardt 1-0 in the AAC Quarterfinals, then topped Tennessee Wesleyan 3-1 to advance to the conference tournament championship match. The AAC Championship match saw freshman Lucas Carvalho (Joao Pessoa, Brazil) record five saves through regulation and overtime as Montreat and Bryan (Tenn.) battled to a 0-0 finish. Two misses by Bryan in the penalty kick shootout saw the Cavaliers celebrate their first Appalachian Athletic Conference Championship and earn their first trip to the NAIA National Tournament. The opening round of the NAIA National Tournament saw the Cavs head on the road to face the seventh seed, Bethel (Tenn.). Bethel would cruise to 6-1 victory ending the Cavs season at 11-8-1 overall.
2012 was a season that saw the steady progress of the program turned upside down as the Cavs scored just 14 goals while allowing 35 against and failed to have a .500 winning percentage or better for the first time since 2005 as they finished the season with a 5-10-1 record thanks to a forfeit by Northwood from a season opening loss. The Blue & White finished the season in eighth place with a 2-5-1 mark, only ahead of Point who finished 0-8-0 in the AAC.
