The UW-Superior men's soccer team has simply been dominant over the past decade. Since joining the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) ahead of the 2015 season, UWS has garnered a conference record of 115-7-4 and collected 17 championships.
 
In program history, however, the Yellowjackets have amassed 18 conference championships.
 
UWS captured the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Tournament Championship in 2013, the program's first ever conference crown. The 'Jackets finished the year 12-6-3 overall, capping the season with a pair of 2-1 wins against UW-Whitewater and UW-Oshkosh in the postseason tournament.
 
Six years later, the team would be inducted into the UW-Superior Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2019.
 
One of the main pieces to the puzzle from this squad was Nate Engel, who will be inducted in the Class of 2026 on July 18. Engel becomes the third men's soccer alumnus to have their legacy enshrined in UW-Superior's Hall of Fame.
 
A native of Maple Grove, Minn., Engel captained the 2013 squad as a senior. Throughout his career, he played in all 81 games while starting 80. While in the recruiting process, Engel hadn't considered attending UW-Superior until after his first year of college.
 
"The recruiting process for me was, unique, you could say," Engel said. "Superior wasn't really on my radar at the time."
 
The Twin Ports area would soon come around, however.
 
"During my first two years at NDSU, I was a student assistant for the women's program and played club soccer. I was working with the team frequently during practice and developed a good relationship with the head coach. I expressed to him that I had interest in transferring to another school to play collegiate soccer, so he got me in touch with the head coach at UW-Milwaukee. I had full intentions of transferring to Milwaukee on zero scholarship, fulfilling my dream of playing Division I soccer."
 
"However, after months of deliberating, the coach at Milwaukee stepped down and that door unfortunately closed for me."
 
Despite his Division I dreams no longer being reality, Engel connected with a high school friend who was already playing at UW-Superior, and the rest was history.
 
"My roommate at NDSU, Brian Chapman, had been talking with a high school friend of ours, Aaron Bresser, who was already playing at Superior," Engel said. "This sparked the initial discussion with Joe Mooney, and after several conversations, Brian and I visited Superior for the first time."
 
"After meeting the team and talking with Joe in person, I liked what I saw. I could see the intention he had and what he was trying to build. I was sold. Brian and I finished our sophomore year at NDSU and were heading to Superior to play our first Division III game in the fall of 2010."
 
Upon arriving to campus and taking part in his first training sessions, Engel took note of a few differences with collegiate soccer.
 
"The speed of play, physicality, conditioning, and technical ability were things I had to approach differently," Engel said. "And to be honest, a lot of this came from actual game experience. From there, being able to adapt and learn quickly. I was never worried about my conditioning or physical play, but the speed of play and technical ability is what grew with more game time experience. We all grew together. We had a very talented group of guys over the years, and we pushed each other daily in training."
 
UWS would finish 11-7-2 that season, marking the program's second-best wins since 2006 (13-3-2). Those talented group of soccer players would climb their way through the WIAC over the next couple of years, a league that featured UW-Oshkosh and UW-Whitewater consistently at the top of the league.
 
"Those two were always circled on the schedule. Hands down, the best memories came from those games," Engel said. "Not only were they both consistently nationally ranked, they brought out the best in our team. Did we have the best record against them in my four years? No. Were each of those games tight until the end? Absolutely."
 
"Those games meant everything to us. The WIAC was absolutely stacked with talent. Those players, in my opinion, could have went on to play for Division I programs. That's why those matches were so important, and look what finally happened in 2013. We adapted, we persevered, and we conquered the WIAC in the final stages."
 
That 2013 team would finish 12-6-3 overall with a four-match winning streak, outscoring those opponents 19-4 on their way to their first title.
 
"During regular season play, we lost to UW-Oshkosh and tied with UW-Whitewater, both in overtime. We knew what was coming when it came to the first ever WIAC Championship in program history. We knew it was going to be an absolute battle, but we were ready this time. We loved playing on the road, and we were ready for the opportunity to beat them on their home turf."
 
When asked about that year, Engel thinks back to his head coach and the standard he set for years to come.
 
"I never thought there was enough recognition for Joe then," Engel said. "The foundation he built for us players was amazing. He provided the foundation and the tools for us to succeed. So I thank you, coach. It was the best decision I ever made coming to Superior and playing for you."
 
"Honestly, Superior was a home away from home. There was always such a sense of community. In my time, all student-athletes supported and showed up for one another. These will always be some of the best memories of my life."
 
The 2026 UW-Superior Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, July 18 in the Great Room of the Yellowjacket Union. For more information on the ceremony, including purchasing tickets, visit our Hall of Fame page.