Men's soccer takes first two games of tourny
The men's soccer team has begun a successful post season, winning two games in the NCAA tournament. The team beat Ithaca and York over the weekend and will play Steven's Tech this Saturday.
A week ago the team was devastated in the Centennial Conference Championship by Swarthmore, a team they had already beaten during the regular season. But the Jays were given an at-large bid for the national NCAA tournament. Their road would be tough but as a team they knew anything was possible. This past week they have proven that they are, in fact, the team to beat.
On Wednesday the team travelled to Ithaca, N.Y. to play the Bombers last Thursday. The Bombers were ranked 23rd nationally, but Hopkins prevailed decisively, winning by a score of 1-0. Six minutes into the first overtime, senior forward Nick Gauna footed a solid assist from sophomore Chris Wilson straight to the back of the net. Gauna spoke of the goal as "the perfect cross from Wilson."
"They knew it had to be done now. And Wilson did it like we told him to," Evan Giles said.
The Jays raced a quick Ithaca team into overtime, thanks to solid goal keeping from Matt Mierly, who earned his seventh shutout of the season. And in the second half, the offense outshot the home team substantially.
The cold weather of upstate New York and the unkempt grass field had no effect on the Jays, who left all their passion and energy on the field in an incredible display of determination and team work.
Throughout the game Hopkins brought the ball down on both sides of the field and created many scoring opportunities in crosses and corner kicks. Wilson, the scrappy sophomore, beat the Ithaca defender in a foot race to the end line and as the goalie came to attempt to defend his box, Wilson relayed a crisp pass to the sharpshooter, Gauna. In a crowd of rowdy Bomber defenders Gauna prevailed to score the golden goal.
"I knew I could beat [their defenders]," Wilson said. "I got the ball, took him on [and] beat him. Game, set, match."
A week ago the team was devastated in the Centennial Conference Championship by Swarthmore, a team they had already beaten during the regular season. But the Jays were given an at-large bid for the national NCAA tournament. Their road would be tough but as a team they knew anything was possible. This past week they have proven that they are, in fact, the team to beat.
On Wednesday the team travelled to Ithaca, N.Y. to play the Bombers last Thursday. The Bombers were ranked 23rd nationally, but Hopkins prevailed decisively, winning by a score of 1-0. Six minutes into the first overtime, senior forward Nick Gauna footed a solid assist from sophomore Chris Wilson straight to the back of the net. Gauna spoke of the goal as "the perfect cross from Wilson."
"They knew it had to be done now. And Wilson did it like we told him to," Evan Giles said.
The Jays raced a quick Ithaca team into overtime, thanks to solid goal keeping from Matt Mierly, who earned his seventh shutout of the season. And in the second half, the offense outshot the home team substantially.
The cold weather of upstate New York and the unkempt grass field had no effect on the Jays, who left all their passion and energy on the field in an incredible display of determination and team work.
Throughout the game Hopkins brought the ball down on both sides of the field and created many scoring opportunities in crosses and corner kicks. Wilson, the scrappy sophomore, beat the Ithaca defender in a foot race to the end line and as the goalie came to attempt to defend his box, Wilson relayed a crisp pass to the sharpshooter, Gauna. In a crowd of rowdy Bomber defenders Gauna prevailed to score the golden goal.
"I knew I could beat [their defenders]," Wilson said. "I got the ball, took him on [and] beat him. Game, set, match."
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