Senior men’s soccer midfielder Trey Sheeler turns legacy to legend

Trey Sheeler grew up in Bethlehem and played soccer his whole life, yet he said he never expected to attend Lehigh, his mother’s alma mater. 

His first experience at Lehigh came at age 5, when he attended the Lehigh Soccer Academy day camp.

Now, Sheeler is a senior captain for the Mountain Hawks, he coaches the Lehigh Soccer Academy day camp and helps with the local club soccer team he played on before coming to Lehigh.

Sheeler said he was initially opposed to attending Lehigh, but the team’s sense of brotherhood and success as they came off their 2019 Patriot League title, drew him in. 

But it was the energy and community that convinced him he wanted to play for the Mountain Hawks. Sheeler was recruited for an official visit his junior year of high school.

“I knew the whole athletic side of Lehigh before I came,” Sheeler said. “But seeing the academics and really interacting with the whole campus was a good experience when I got here as a student.”

Before Lehigh, Sheeler captained his high school team at Moravian Academy to multiple state championships in addition to competing on the Lehigh Valley United club team at national and regional levels.

Sheeler said the experiences he gained getting to play on multiple teams during high school, led to his success at Lehigh.

Sheeler was named the Patriot League Preseason Midfielder of the Year this summer. He started all 16 games last season and scored two game-winning goals for the Mountain Hawks. 

Now a successful midfielder at Lehigh, Sheeler began his career as a center back. 

He played in every game as a center back his first season on the team. Sheeler earned third-team All-Patriot League honors as a first-year player, while establishing his position at center back.

He then switched back and forth between offensive and defensive positions, until becoming a utility midfielder his junior year.

“I’m grateful that I moved around a bit because now in my senior year I feel like a very versatile player,” Sheeler said. “I like to be a player that tries to do it all.”

While moving around to different positions, Sheeler started all 49 games of his career, showcasing his ability to play anywhere on the field.

Associate head coach Ryan Hess said Sheeler has a calming presence when he is on the field. 

Hess said Sheeler has been on his radar since his early playing days, when Hess was his club coach before being recruited to Lehigh. 

“The biggest character piece about why we wanted (Sheeler) was that he’s such a unique blend of physical gifts and high-level technical qualities,” said Hess.

Sheeler stands at 6-foot-3 , which Hess said allows him to head the ball and play in the air higher than his opponents. 

“When you see a 50/50 ball and you see him running towards you, you’re grateful you’re on his side and not the opponents’ because you know he will do whatever it takes to win the ball,” Anton Kinnunen, junior goalkeeper, said.

Kinnunen said that opposing teams often prepare a game plan to limit the number of times Sheeler heads the ball in games.

However, Sheeler said he didn’t always have the height advantage he does now.

“In high school I was much shorter and played up a few age groups,” Sheeler said. “Which I think aided my abilities technically because I couldn’t rely on my size yet.”

Kinnunen said he’s grown much closer with Sheeler because of his reliability as a friend and teammate.

On Kinnunen’s visit to Lehigh, he said he got lunch with Sheeler and the coaches, and they got to know each other very well. Since then, they have spent lots of time together on and off the field.

Sheeler said entering his senior season, he finds himself appreciating his time on the field more, which has made him feel more calm and confident about his performance in games.

“Yesterday I was arriving for fall camp my first year, and now I’m a senior with only a few months left,” Sheeler said. “So I want to leave this program better than I found it.”