The Emory University men’s soccer team came out strong this past weekend in the opening round of the NCAA DIII Men’s Soccer Championships, securing two wins and advancing to the Sweet 16. Coming off a strong regular season where the team went 13-1-3, the Eagles are looking to redeem themselves this year after falling short in the opening round of the tournament last year.
On Nov. 15, the Eagles faced Maryville College (Tenn.) in the first round of the tournament, coming out on top with a 3-1 victory. Junior forward Lorenzo Avalos found the back of the net within the first two minutes of the match, putting the Eagles on the board early before Maryville tied it up in the 17th minute. In the second half, senior defender Owen Clark and junior midfielder Logan Steren added goals to secure the win.
The next day, Emory defeated Hampden-Sydney College (Va.) 3-0. The Eagles had a strong all-around team performance, dominating the game in possession and scoring opportunities.
This was evident with three different scorers putting the Eagles on the board that game: sophomore forward Jake Breitegan, freshman midfielder Terence Noh and graduate forward Ignacio Cubeddu.
Junior goalkeeper Geoffrey Halpern said the team’s strong defensive unit has been a crucial part of their postseason success.
“We have a really, really good group of defenders and midfielders where my job is so, so easy,” Halpern said. “We have a lot of creativity. We have a lot of guys who see the game differently, and it all combines really well together.”
In addition to the pressure of trying to win a championship, the NCAA tournament is high-stakes for graduate midfielder Jack Burgess, as it could be the end of his soccer career. Burgess, an All-University Athletic Association honorable mention, said he is confident that the team will make a deep run.
“This could be my last ever time I kick a ball on a proper team,” Burgess said. “It’s always in the air that this could be it, but we have a lot of confidence in ourselves to go on and do the best we can.”
Sophomore defender Josh Ali said the tournament is a high-pressure environment, but that the team is trying to stay focused on the game at hand.
“It’s definitely nerve-wracking, especially because this will be my first NCAA tournament appearance,” Ali said. “But knowing that it’s similar to what we’ve been doing all season, although the intensity is going to be a lot higher than the regular season, just stick to what you’re good at. We know how to play our game.”
Similarly, Halpern said that because of the tournament’s high stakes, each game is much more intense.
“It’s win or go home, so there’s a lot more riding on each game,the teams fight a lot harder,” Halpern said. “When the game’s all done, there’s a lot more pure emotions that run through after the game, which has been a really nice shift to see.”
The Eagles will take on Rowan University (N.J.) in the Sweet 16 on Nov. 22. As the Eagles advance through the tournament, Ali said he is expecting opponents to play conservatively, but he is confident that the team can find ways to win with their style of play.
“I’m not too worried about how we’ll handle that. We have the personnel to do it,” Ali said.
