Men's Soccer Makes A Run To The ECAC Finals

The Trinity Men's Soccer team's record-breaking season ended on Sunday when the Bantams fell to the Middlebury Panthers in the ECAC Finals by a score of 3-1. The boys made a remarkable run, earning second place in New England, cracking the Top 25 in the end-of-season poll, and dispatching two teams in the ECAC Playoffs before falling to Middlebury. The team's thirteen wins (11 regular, 2 postseason) is a new school record, one that will be tough to match in years to come.

The Bants playoff week started this past Wednesday. Trinity, being the third seed in this eight team tournament, played sixth-seeded Plymouth State. Early on, it was clear that the Bantams were the superior team. Morgan Sandell '03, one of the most talented goal-scorers in New England, netted the first one, nodding in a cross from Caley Iandiorio '01. Brett MacQuarrie '01 scored the second at the end of the first half, a goal which seemed to demoralize the outmatched Plymouth State. The Trinity defenders held down the fort for the remainder of the match, helping Tom Hambrick-Stowe '01 earn yet another shutout.

The ECAC tournament was now down to four teams. The whole Final Four was hosted by Middlebury, as they were the number one seed. After Middlebury defeated Tufts in one semifinal, Trinity faced Amherst. Amherst beat Trinity earlier in the season, but the Bants had been on a hot streak ever since that game in early October, winning eight games in a row. Saturday offered the prospect of redemption.

Getting off to a sluggish start, it seemed as if the Bantams would fall. Conceding the first two goals to the twelfth-ranked team in the country, many spectators probably lost faith but the players didn't. They all knew that they had enough character to take on this challenge.

Finally, finding some fire within themselves, the Bants scored two goals in the last 25 minutes to tie the game at the end of regulation. It was Sandell and MacQuarrie again who came through for the Bants. Thirty minutes of sudden-death overtime stared both teams in the face, but the Bants ended it within ten.

An Amherst defender committed a hand-ball in the penalty area and a penalty shot was awarded. Daniel Rudolph took the shot and ended the game. On to the Finals!

As glorious as Saturday was for the Bants, Sunday was miserable. Middlebury was the better side on this day and emerged victorious in this 3-1 Final. The Bants did make it exciting though. Going down 2-0 again, the team would come to within one when Peter Trimble '01 scored the first collegiate goal of his career.

Middlebury was relentless, however, putting the game out of reach with ten minutes to go. Down 3-1, the Bantams valiantly put forth their last efforts. However, it was not enough. They are the 1999 New England ECAC runners-up.

All of the accolades like ECAC runner-up, a national ranking, a number two ranking in New England, and a record-breaking regular season don't quite compare with the quiet yet confident feeling the Bantams own at the end of their season.

They worked hard, and as a result, accomplished truly great things. They put on quite a show, one that will never be forgotten by this author at least.