UD golden in the golden state

soccer team makes case for postseason play

By: Gregory Pivarunas

Posted: 10/7/08

UD Golden in the Golden State; Makes Case for Postseason Play
Gregory Pivarunas

After a record-setting season last year, the UD men's soccer team proves that their success was no fluke. These athletes continued their tradition of winning with their excellent play in California this last weekend. And although the team split two games with rivals from the Golden State, they have put themselves in prime position to do well during the rest of the year, and possibly snag a spot in postseason tournament play.

The Crusaders played their first game on Saturday, Oct. 4, against the UC-Santa Cruz Banana Slugs. This team belies their name, for they are big postseason contenders every year. However, UD took advantage of the chances that the Banana Slugs gave them, with the first one coming almost immediately, when senior Stuart Brown received a foul in the opening 10 minutes, and another senior, Adam Lunger, made the Banana Slugs pay. On his penalty kick, Lunger successfully faked out the goalie and scored easily. This goal proved to be the game-winner, as the Crusaders played solid defense against a formidable opponent. For even though UC-Santa Cruz controlled the ball, UD kept the it away from the goal; especially notable in this effort was junior Matt Stamper, who often helped keep the ball out of UD territory.

The Crusaders put the game away about midway through the second half on a breakaway. Adam Lunger scored again, assisted by Stuart Brown, giving Lunger six goals on the year (Brown now has seven assists in his senior year). The defense again played superbly for the rest of the half, and UD started their first trip to California off with a victory against a tough adversary. As the clock ran out, the team celebrated their great win. Now UD has some recognition after beating a top-notch team in their home state, which may prove useful in gaining them a spot in the national tournament.

The team finished the tournament well, losing in a tough decision to Cal State-East Bay. Their opponents scored within five minutes on a breakaway. However, UD kept playing hard throughout the half, and Matt Stamper and Adam Lunger kept up their fine play by almost tying the game with headers on goal. The Crusaders attacked quickly in the second half. Stuart Brown took a corner kick and sent the ball to Adam Lunger. Lunger picked up an assist as he returned the ball to sophomore Ryan Meske, who took a terrific shot to knot the game at one goal apiece. The Crusaders lost ground, however, when East Bay scored on a close shot. The UD team felt cheated this time, since they felt the referee ignored a blatant foul on senior Bennett Rawicki, which allowed East Bay their chance to score. Now down 2-1, the team played an uphill battle. Matt Stamper missed on another close shot that went off the crossbar. East Bay took advantage of another goal-scoring opportunity with little time left in the game and posted a 3-1 lead. This was the final score of a well-played game, which unfortunately went the wrong way for the Crusaders.

Although the Crusaders left California with a loss, their Saturday win against the Banana Slugs was a strong mark for the rest of the season. With a strong record of 6-3-1, they look ready to keep winning. The coach, David Hoffmann, wants the team to "accelerate into this week." The team will look to revenge their tough loss with solid play in their next game. They play at home this Thursday against Austin College.