The Louisiana State University of Alexandria men's soccer team is in a familiar situation, facing off with Xavier University (La.) in the Red River Athletic Conference Championship.
 
For three seniors in their fourth season with the Generals, it's the third time they've met XULA in Texarkana. Rhys Fuller, Paul Adler, and Charlie Moore are the only senior Generals to play their entire collegiate career in the Purple and Gold.
 
In their regular season finale, the Generals recorded the program's first-ever win against the Gold Rush, a 2-1 win on the road.
 
Despite this season's success, the trio are locked in for Monday's semifinal.
 
"I don't like to put things in motion before they happen," Fuller said. "I think it'll be a very, very tight match because they are a good side and they have lots of quality, but it's just about mitigating that and then making sure we shine through. I don't think it'll be pretty football-"
 
"War," Moore interjected.
 
The regular season finale was not only the program's first win against XULA but the first time LSUA had scored against the Gold Rush.
 
"I'm not concerned with playing them twice in essentially a week," Adler said. "We have enough open books against them to beat them three times back-to-back-to-back. I feel like it won't be a shock this year."
 
It was also LSUA's second win over a ranked opponent in the 2025 campaign. The Generals opened the year with a win over No. 3 William Carey University, the highest ranked opponent LSUA has ever beaten.
 
It's been a four-year project but the trio believe the culture established within the program by the players and Coaches Mackenzie Young and Keelin Foley has been a key role in the team's success.
 
"The culture has changed a lot," Fuller said. "I think it was difficult to implement that going from freshman to sophomore year but we've found our identity and we have a whole squad and roster of players who can follow that."
 
The men's team has players from across the globe from Chile to Germany, England to South Africa.
 
"Everyone is connected," Moore added. Everyone's friends."
 
"Year by year we have more and more players buying in," Adler noted. "This year it's been one through, however many we are, all pulling in the same direction."
 
The team values sacrificing ego in favor of the good of the program, a utilitarian mindset. It's not a change that was made in an instant. It's been built on year-by-year, after moments of uncertainty.
 
"You know, initially, it felt like going bad to worse," Fuller said. "You get a new coach and that's very difficult in itself, especially because you haven't built any trust. But I feel as though Mackenzie coming in really helped the program."
 
"Mackenzie did an outstanding job," Adler said. "And I think he was the main reason the three of us stayed."
 
Now, four years later, the Generals are in the conversation for the NAIA tournament and have spent the season receiving votes in the NAIA Top 25 Poll.
 
"It feels good, to be honest," Fuller said. "I knew this year was going to be a special year. I think it's a testament to the hard work everyone has come in and bought into the program, we are reaping the rewards of that."
 
The Generals kickoff against Xavier (La.) at 7:30 PM in Texarkana for the RRAC Championship Semifinal.