Protecting a 1-0 lead in the America East title game against Stony Brook, the Bearcats needed only three minutes and fifteen seconds to send its most prolific senior class ever off as champions. But the 2005 fairy tale ended early, as the team fell heartbreakingly short in penalty kicks.
“I told the young guys that are returning not to ever forget this feeling they feel right now,” said head coach Paul Marco to his team after the loss. “It’s what drives you through the summer months.”
Now in 2006, with the summer coming to a close, the Bearcats have another chance to return to the title game. However, this year’s road might be more rocky than last’s, as it is almost impossible to replace the contributions of the seven players who departed as part of the class of 2005.
Though Marco does not feel 2006 will be a season of rebuilding, it can certainly be called one of transition.
The Bearcats have opened the season 0-3-1, but one of those games was against defending national champion Maryland, which Binghamton lost 3-0 after a scoreless first half. The Bearcats did tie Bucknell 1-1, but also fell to Colgate 1-0 and Dartmouth 2-0, marking the first time the team has lost two games in a row since 2002.
“We’re playing decent soccer; we’re outplaying most of our opponents, with the exception of Maryland,” Marco said. “But it comes down to the details, and although we may outplay you for a match, we’re not taking care of those little tiny details that comes with a little maturity on the field and something that you really can’t put your finger on, and that’s a competitive spirit, kind of a will to win.”
The will to win is what the 2005’s team knew best. But players come and go, and in 2006 a fresh set of faces is on the field for the Bearcats.
Sophomore Barry Neville and junior Adam Chavez now man the backfield, which Graham Munro, Ryan Pierce and Darius Ravangard used to patrol. Sophomores Ryan Tomko and Justin Leskow will also contribute. There are four newcomers in the backfield: sophomores Liam Carson and Mark Wood, and freshmen Mike Garcia and Chris Terry.
Seniors Kyle Antos and Bryan Arnault will be at midfield, trying to replace the departed Danilo, along with junior Matt Narode, who has the Bearcats’ only goal this season and led the team with seven in 2005. Freshman Cody Germain will help at midfield as well as at forward. Newcomers Kyle Kucharski and Michael Zervas round out the middle.
The front line will be similar to last season’s, with seniors Joey Neilson and Peter Sgueglia, who tallied five goals and four goals, respectively, leading the attack. Versatile senior Ibrahim Yusuf will see time in the backfield and at forward, similar to the aforementioned Germain.
At goalie, junior Ryan Bertoni returns after a strong 2005 season, in which he finished second in the conference with a .63 goals against average.
Though many will be disappointed if the men’s soccer team does not fare as well in 2006 as it did last year, the cyclic nature and constant turnover of collegiate athletic rosters must be understood.
“If you’re comparing year to year I would think that it would be unfair, as teams change, including our own and our opponent’s,” Marco said. “Every year is a new challenge.”
Regardless, a 0-3-1 start is disappointing, but there is still time for things to turn around.
“We’re in a state of, not emergency, but urgency,” Marco admits.