NADER HUSSEIN ’DOAH STAFF WRITER
The S.U. men’s soccer team played their final game of the sea- son on Wednesday, as they failed to qualify for the ODAC Men’s Soccer Tournament. With the season now over, it’s time to take a look back through the course of the tumultuous term.
The team finished with a 5-12-1 record, which is certainly an improvement over last season’s performance, when the Hornets failed to win or even draw a single game. Graduating three seniors last year, coach Corbin Sutton was able to use a strong class of freshman
to create a more competitive team. The Hornets went out on a high note, defeating Randolph-Macon College 2-0, with goals by sophomore captain Nate Long and junior utility-player Seamus Doherty. That game ended a five-game winless streak that started with a 3-1 loss to tournament third-seed, Virginia Wesleyan.
The team’s leading scorer was freshman striker Brian Maye, who scored five, followed by Long and junior Eduardo Santiago, both with three. Another freshman who had a strong season was goalkeeper Matthew Poell. Poell started 14 of the season’s 18 matches and was called upon numerous times over the course of the season. Poell made some fantastic saves that were vital to keeping the Hornets in games and maintaining leads and draws. He helped to reduce the number of goals conceded from 63 last season to 40 this campaign.
Three of S.U.’s five wins came in the first six games, besting Penn State Brandywine in the Cabrini Tournament consolation game, Hood College and Penn State Altoona. The team’s other wins came in conference play, defeating tournament sixth-seed Bridgewater College away from home as well as Randolph-Macon. The loan draw came in an away match at Guilford College.
With no graduating seniors on the 23-man roster, every player should be eligible to return next season, during which Coach Sutton will surely be looking to use the existing core of players to improve further and continue the upward trend in results.
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