The St. Thomas men’s soccer team received a public reprimand from the NCAA in March regarding the behavior of three senior players during quarterfinal game of the Division III tournament on Nov. 19.

Shae Bottum, Pierce Erickson and Tyler Oliver were reported to have yelled expletives at the referees after losing 1-0 to North Park University (Illinois).

“We are not hiding from it; it happened and it was a learning moment,” St. Thomas soccer coach Jon Lowery said. “And it was generated from a group of guys that put their heart and soul into something that was bigger than themselves, something that no other player has ever done here before.”

Lowery said that the athletic department and the university supported the NCAA’s actions toward the situation. However, Lowery thinks the near end of the players’ careers may have contributed to their outbursts.

“What makes this team so special is the belief and emotional connectivity to the game itself,” Lowery said. “The emotion was channeled in a negative way, but I think that it came from the brutality of understanding that it was going to be over.”

St. Thomas Athletic Director Stephen Fritz said that, in every instance, people must represent the university, whether it is a game situation or not.

“This situation is a good reminder to everybody on every level that this is expected and you are representing the university and it isn’t only yourself,” Fritz said. “Sometimes they forget that in the heat of the battle.”

In efforts to enforce good sportsmanship, the team talked to former U.S. soccer player Tony Sanneh, who had also experienced similar repercussions in his career. In addition, the coaches implemented volunteer opportunities with The Sanneh Foundation throughout the summer so that the players could get involved with local youth sports programs.

The athletic department looks at this situation as a learning experience for not only the soccer team but all other teams at St. Thomas as well. Fritz said that he expects that individuals from all levels in the department to be aware of their actions and how they may affect others in the future in any instance.

“This is a piece of our narrative, but it isn’t a complete representation of who we are and other things we have accomplished,” Lowery said.

Ava Diaz can be reached at diaz7981@stthomas.edu