By Ariana Giorgi ’13 and Michael Kelley ’13
Photo Courtesy of Athletic Communications
Seven years of postseason disappointment finally came to an end Sunday. The Lafayette men’s soccer team is back on top as Patriot League champions.
Lafayette shut out the No. 1 seeded American Eagles 2-0 for their league record seventh championship title. Kyle Scharfenberg ‘13 and Peter Adubato ‘14 each scored goals, while goalkeeper and tournament MVP Nate McDonald ‘14 made several crucial saves to lead the defense to its eighth shutout this season.
“In the seconds after the clock stopped, I was overcome with emotion thinking about the ability of our team to accomplish what we did,” McDonald said. “I fell to the ground and remember [Alec Golini] coming over before everyone dog-piled.”
As a result, Lafayette received an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and played Virginia (9-6-4) in Charlottesville Thursday. Due to deadline, The Lafayette was unable to provide coverage for this week’s print edition.
Lafayette’s last visit to the NCAA Tournament was in 2005. For Virginia, the NCAA Tournament has become somewhat of a home away from home – this is their 32nd straight year receiving a bid. The winner from Thursday night moves on to play No. 13 New Mexico in Albuquerque on Sunday night at 9 p.m.
The Leopards foreshadowed the championship game by shutting out the defending champion Colgate Raiders 1-0 in the semifinal last Friday. Alec Golini ‘14 led the offense with an unassisted goal in the27th minute while McDonald kept the net clean with three saves.
“It was just great to get a goal to put us ahead,” Golini said. “Because once we got one, everybody knew we weren’t losing that game.”
Though they gained a quiet confidence from the win, the team was hesitant to celebrate too soon. The bus ride to the final round was so quiet, “You could literally hear a pin drop,” Scharfenberg said.
Knowing they were playing at peak performance, Head Coach Dennis Bohn reminded his players to embrace the moment and remember the experience.
Lafayette’s first goal against American (11-6-2) came just 20 minutes into the game when senior captain Sean Peckhamplaced a corner kick near Scharfenberg, who headed the ball into the net.
“After I scored, I didn’t know what to think,” Scharfenberg said. “My celebration showed it too because I was just screaming and running around like an idiot.”
On the defensive end, one of McDonald’s most crucial saves came in the 32nd minute after Rob Bedson ‘13 received a yellow card for a foul in the box, leading to a penalty kick. But American was unable to tie the game as McDonald guessed correctly and dove to block the low right shot.
In the 64th minute, a scrum ensued and an American player was sent off with a red card. Three minutes later, Lafayette seized the man down opportunity when Adubato stole the ball from an American defender and placed it behind the goalkeeper to clinch the game and the championship.
The team was ecstatic, hoisting trophies and donning championship hats.
For Scharfenberg and the five seniors, winning was particularly sweet after four years of doused Patriot League hopes.
“I am so proud of [the team’s] effort and commitment,” said Bohn, who is in his 12th season at Lafayette.
Along with McDonald’s MVP award, impressive plays by Peckham, Golini, Scharfenberg, and defender Julian Plummer ‘15 earned them spots on the All-Tournament Team.
McDonald called the MVP award the culminating highlight of his career.
To the players, the overwhelming success of the weekend was just a snapshot of the pride and heart of Lafayette men’s soccer.
“To get two shutouts, defend like crazy, score some goals, be disciplined and organized, and have some fun while doing it – now that’s Lafayette soccer,” Golini said.
