KANSAS CITY, Mo. – There’s a famous quote by poet Geoffrey Chaucer that goes, “All good things must come to an end.” Unfortunately, for the Lindenwood men’s soccer team (14-3-4, 6-2-2 OVC), that quote came to fruition for them after they fell to the Kansas City Roos (12-3-5, 4-1-1 Summit) 1-0 in the opening round of the 2025 NCAA tournament.
“Yeah, a little frustrating,” Head Coach Kris Bertsch said in his postgame press conference. Obviously felt that we could have done a little bit more. Credit to our opponents. Wonderful effort by them and deserved victory. Can’t fault the guys. The effort was phenomenal. Just didn’t make enough plays. This time of year, games in November, you’ve got to make more plays.”
It was a special year for Lindenwood, a team built on belief and identity. The Lions became the first Lindenwood athletics program to ever qualify for an NCAA Division I national tournament and just the third program to win an OVC Championship, joining women’s volleyball and women’s soccer in 2024.
“There hasn’t been a game all year that they haven’t shown up,” Bertsch said. “I’m proud of these guys. These guys are warriors. They’re winners. They’re guys I recruited because I believe in them as people.”
Kansas City controlled much of the first half, outshooting Lindenwood 10-1, but the Lions’ back line, one of the nation’s best statistically, held firm. The Roos nearly scored in the 33rd minute when they ripped three shots within 30 seconds, including one that struck the upper-right post. Back-to-back rebound attempts were blocked by Lindenwood defenders to keep the match scoreless.
Kansas City finally broke through in the 54th minute. Off a cross into the box, Kevin Nkumu fired a shot that goalkeeper Gavin Roberts got a hand on, but the force carried it into the net for a 1-0 UMKC lead.
Lindenwood’s best chances came with only a few minutes left in their season, as Leandro Haesler had a great look at a header after the Kansas City goalie fell after punching it to the Lindenwood defenseman, who didn’t have enough on his header, and the Roos were able to clear it away. Finally, with six seconds left, Ethan Blake set up to take a free kick right in front of his bench. He boomed one into the box that found the head of Gavin Csiszar, who was able to head it towards Luke Neely, who let a shot rip, but at the last possible moment, a UMKC player stuck their leg out and deflected it off the crossbar and ending Lindenwood’s season as the final buzzer sounded.
“We’ve always said there’s always time left and there’s always another opportunity,” Bertsch said. “We actually got two good chances, and both were going in the goal, but they were blocked. That’s what great teams do — they make plays when it matters. You’re three or four seconds away from tying it. That’s how tight the margins are.”
What a season it was, however, for the Lions as they had seven different players from the 2025 squad named to the All-Conference team. Haesler, Luca Bartoni, and Matteo Landais were named to the All-OVC First Team, while Roberts and Blake were named to the All-OVC Second Team. Haelser and Bartoni were also included on the 2025 All-OVC Newcomer Team along with Alander Soares and Csiszar.
“They carried the load,” Bertsch said. “They’ve been wonderful ambassadors, buying into the mission and the vision and our core principles. They police the culture. Our culture is amazing, and I love these guys as people on and off the field.”
This senior class leaves a historic legacy. Seventeen players will graduate, including Lindenwood’s top-five point scorers. Luca Bartoni led the Lions with seven goals and five assists, finishing tied with Matteo Landais (five goals, nine assists) with 19 points.
One of the mainstays of this Lindenwood team that has been through all the change and now will hang up his uniform is Blake, who concludes his final season in St. Charles with five goals and six assists, finishing his three-year career with 19 goals and 17 assists in 60 career games.
Csiszar added six goals and four assists in his lone year with the program, contributing to the highest-scoring Lindenwood offense of its Division I era.
The entire defensive unit, Haesler, Neely, Mikey Lennon, Quinn Connolly, Roberts and Quinn Closson, graduates after allowing just 11 goals in 21 games, posting a 0.52 goals-against average and 12 shutouts.
Lindenwood’s 14 wins in 2025 were the most wins in a single season since 2013, and they won their first regular-season and postseason conference championships at the Division I level since reclassifying in 2022.
“Always being first is a wonderful thing,” he said. “The university will continue in more championships. Our goal is not only to make it, not just tip your hat to make it, but to advance. We expect to win every game we play. Tonight, it just wasn’t our time.”
Lindenwood fought hard against the Roos, but one goal was all that was needed to send the Roos on dancing into the next round and send Lindenwood home having to wait until next August to compete again.
