Castaño ’26 key to soccer’s early success
He’s still early in his collegiate career, but Wabash soccer forward Caleb Castaño ’26 has already made his intentions clear: he is hungry for goals. And so far, he has delivered. Having been involved in eight goals, he is a worthy recipient of The Bachelor’s Athlete of the Month award for September 2022.
Castaño currently leads the Wabash offense with four goals and four assists on the season. He scored two of those goals in his first three games, opening his account against Olivet College on September 3, 2022, and adding another against Mount St. Joseph College the following afternoon. But Castaño’s most important goal of the season so far came on September 19 in a game against Hanover College. With the score tied at 0-0, Castaño made a charging run into the 18-yard box. But as he looked to shoot, Hanover’s Xander Ochsner brought him down in the area. The referee awarded a penalty kick which Castaño calmly slotted into the back of the net, giving Wabash a 1-0 victory. “From day one, he came in with a humble, quiet confidence that allowed him to seamlessly fit into the team under the leadership of the coaches and upperclassmen,” said senior striker Austin Hughes ’23.
“On the field, he is confident in himself and his ability to beat any defender. If he keeps this momentum going and continues to battle for the team like he has been, then I really don’t see why he can’t enjoy a truly stellar career at Wabash.” Castaño has also been prolific in setting up goals as well as scoring them. Most notably, on September 24 he assisted Alexis Delgado ’23 to inspire Wabash’s comeback effort in a 3-2 victory over Oberlin College. “Of course, I’m just trying to get as many goals as I can and help the team out, whether it’s goals or assists,” said Castaño.
The freshman forward has made 11 total appearances on the season so far and accumulated over 600 minutes of playing time. As the Little Giants head into the bulk of their conference schedule, Castaño will almost certainly continue as a regular starter. We’ll wait and see how great an influence he can wield over Wabash’s conference opponents.