CASTINE, Maine — Maine Maritime Academy Men's Soccer Head Coach Billy Shannon shared his thoughts on the Mariners' upcoming 2025 season.
The Mariners return all five of their leading scorers from last year's roster: senior John-John Dickenson, juniors Gabriel Toledo and James Baur, senior Ronnie Morgan, and junior Hunter Crea.
MMA also brings back nine of its 11 starters, highlighted by reigning North Atlantic Conference Defensive Player of the Year Ronnie Morgan, Dickenson (First Team), Toledo (First Team), Crea (Second Team), and junior goalkeeper Reagan Moynihan (Second Team). In addition, 18 players who saw minutes on last year's NAC semifinal squad return for the 2025 campaign.
Eight Questions with Coach Shannon
What are you most excited about for the upcoming 2025 season?
To work with this special group of players and people, and to help support them as they pursue their athletic, academic, and professional goals!
What are some of the biggest strengths of your team heading into the season?
I would say our team leadership and veteran experience are our biggest strengths. We have guys who have made significant contributions over the past 2–3 seasons, and a core group of upperclassmen who are hungry to compete for a NAC championship.
How do you build off the success of your 2024 team?
By continuing to use our core values as guiding principles to shape and define our identity on and off the field, while embracing our first-year players and quickly assimilating them into the Mariners Soccer team culture.
You return a talented junior and sophomore class that played a lot of minutes last season. How are you looking for them to grow in 2025?
The upperclassmen will need to embrace leadership opportunities at every turn and look to set and maintain a standard that elevates expectations for the rest of our team to take the next step as a program.
When it comes to leadership, you welcome back both seniors John-John Dickenson and Ronnie Morgan. How will you lean on them to guide and continue developing a talented team?
As they go, we go. It's a lot of pressure on them being seniors in their final year to find their own untapped potential, and they must model the behavior we expect in every area and at all times. Their teammates should be inspired to follow their lead.
What do you define as success heading into the upcoming season?
I would define success as our team achieving the majority of the goals we establish together, while also helping individuals reach their own personal goals.
What is the mindset of your team when they step between the lines?
Our mindset will be one of fearlessness—we are capable of going toe-to-toe with anyone.
When viewers watch your team this season, what can they expect to see?
A hard-working, disciplined group of athletes who play with a lot of energy, push the tempo, and display an exciting brand of Mariner soccer.
Closing:
Maine Maritime opens the 2025 season on the road against the University of New England on Sept. 29 at 7 p.m.
