The Emory University men’s soccer team fell 1–0 in a crushing overtime finish against the Trinity University (Texas) Tigers in the NCAA Final Four on Dec. 5. This was the Eagles’ first Final Four appearance in team history, made possible by the remarkable 4-3 penalty shootout victory against Dickinson College (Pa.) in the Elite Eight.
Despite coming into the match with 16 victories, tied for the most in program history, the Eagles knew the game would be a challenge. The Tigers had been dominant all season, totaling 19 wins with only one loss. Injuries also became a problem for the Eagles down the stretch, forcing many key players to remain off the pitch. However, senior defender Michael Constant praised the team’s “next man up” mentality and persistence through the final stretch of the season.
“I don’t think any other team could’ve [withstood] the injuries we’ve withstood this season,” Constant said in the postgame press conference. “Those guys who stepped up really helped us, and I want to give them the credit because while they might not have played earlier in the year, they definitely stepped into a very tough part of our schedule.”
The Eagles came out of the gate as the early aggressor, putting up a total of eight first-half shots while only allowing one attempt from the Tigers. The first strong goal-scoring opportunity came from junior midfielder Julian Hee in the seventh minute, but Trinity’s goalkeeper was able to knock down the attempt. Senior forward Adeyemi Oni also had an opportunity from up close later in the half, but the Tigers denied the chance.
Even after the Eagles’ promising start, the teams went into halftime still locked at 0–0. Senior midfielder Josh Grand, who was sidelined after tearing his ACL earlier in the season, emphasized to his teammates the importance of continuing to give it their all while also appreciating the moment that they are in.
“I told the guys, ‘The amount of people that would kill throughout the history of this program, on our bench and even in the stands, to be in this moment, to be able to play these last 45 minutes, is incredible,’” Grand said. “Just emphasizing the importance of the moment, and giving not just 100 but 110%.”
In the second half, the Eagles continued to keep up the offensive pressure, led by graduate forward Ignacio Cubeddu. On the defensive side, junior goalkeeper Geoffrey Halpern put together two impressive saves to keep Trinity off the board.
With 15 minutes left on the clock, sophomore forward Jake Breitegan was just inches away from putting the Eagles in front after an impressively long throw-in that found him in the middle of the box. He was able to take a solid shot, but the ball deflected off the right post.
Just four minutes later, the Eagles had a heart-stopping moment when the referee awarded Trinity a penalty kick after a tackle in the box. However, after the newly-installed video review, the call was overturned. The match remained scoreless for the rest of the period, forcing a sudden death overtime.
Three minutes into the extra period, the Tigers pieced together a strong sequence that pushed the ball deep into Emory’s box. The Eagles’ defense did a good job cutting off the angle, but the Tigers still managed to get a shot on goal. The ball took a bounce off Halpern and wound up in the back of the net, allowing Trinity to advance to the final.
Immediately, the team was overwhelmed with sadness. After fighting so hard to make it this far and playing a strong match overall, the season was over in the blink of an eye. However, Grand said as the players began to reflect, the sadness shifted into gratitude for the historic season they had put together.
“It all hits you at once,” Grand said. “There’s a lot of emotion, but sadness is the first one. And then as time goes on, as we spend more time in the locker room after and on the bus back, it turns into appreciation, appreciation for how great of a run this was, how special of a team we had.”
Head coach Cory Greiner said in the press conference that he admired his team’s response to the game as well as how hard they worked both physically and mentally throughout the season.
“I couldn’t be more proud of my players and my staff,” Greiner said. “A resounding way in terms of how they respond to both success and failure speaks volumes of who they are as men and who we are as people.”
Just three seasons ago, the Eagles had the worst record in program history. This year, they became one of the best Division III teams in the entire country. Grand says that this improvement and the new standard set for Emory soccer make this season a success.
“We were ultimately short of our goal, and that is going to be the goal going forward, but to be able to set that standard for the program was pretty special,” Grand said. “Everyone appreciates the mark that this year will make, and how special of a group on the field, but also off the field, how bought-in everyone was. It sets the tone for the culture moving forward.”
