The Observer, November 10, 2006
Volume XXXIX, Issue 10
Men's soccer plays Denison in home playoff game tomorrow
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Coming from behind to beat University of Rochester last weekend, the Case men's soccer team clinched the UAA championship and secured the first bid in school history to the Division III national soccer tournament.
With NYU losing to Brandeis earlier in the day, the players were able to use this as motivation to finish the season with a win and secure the conference championship.
"It was a great game," sophomore Noah Marciniak said. "We decided to tell the guys about the NYU game because we felt it could have a positive effect on our play. In the beginning we never really got dominated, but it went back and forth until they got the first goal about 15 minutes in."
The turning point might have been RJ French's goal late in the first half that tied the game.
"We knew it was a do or die situation," Marciniak said. "With about 10 minutes left in the half, RJ got his goal in the back of the net, which gave us a huge boost going into the half."
That boost was evident, as the Spartans completely dominated the second half.
"The second half was probably the best half of soccer we have played all season," Marciniak said. "We were just explosive, the ball was moving all over, and we were beating them one-on-one."
As usual, the Spartans' defense was stifling.
"Rochester was barely able to get the ball off their side of the field," Marciniak said. "We out-shot them 22 to two in the second half."
Beating Rochester for the first time in his four years, Greg Gasbarro was unable to put his emotions of winning the UAA into words.
"It is something I never felt I would feel here at Case," Gasbarro said. "The feeling is indescribable and as those last seconds ended, we all just piled on the field and celebrated. It didn't really hit me until the next day what we had done."
Much has changed since Gasbarro's first year with the team, even from last year, when the Spartans showed signs of becoming a powerful team with eight victories. However, while many expected the team to be even better this season, not too many people predicted the men would achieve such a high level of success this quickly.
"I expected us to improve, but not to this level," Palmer said. "I certainly believed that we would be better than last year. We have just had a tremendous amount of development and maturity from last year."
Palmer also cited the blend of younger, talented players with an experienced defensive backfield as a big contributor to the success.
"The guys in back, their experience has been invaluable, keeping things in perspective," he said. "The combination of the sophomore's maturity and the maturity of the seniors has pushed us over the top. We play with a maturity beyond the age level on the field."
That maturity certainly played a defining role in the final victory against Rochester.
"The confidence and poise they displayed, especially down a goal, showed a mindset that we didn't know we would have at the beginning of the year," Palmer said.
Entering tomorrow's playoff game, with the way the team is currently playing, Marciniak likes his team's chances.
"We are in unchartered waters, but I think we are playing with a certain confidence that will help us continue in the tournament," he said.
Case earned a bye in the first round of the playoffs and will play Denison in the second round. The Big Red defeated Bethany College, 1-0, on Wednesday to advance to the next round. The two teams will play at Case Field tomorrow at 6 p.m.
Palmer noted that Denison is a very similar team to the Spartans.
"They are dangerous because they are a lot like us," he said. "They have balanced scoring. A lot of different guys on their team can do damage. That's a little bit tougher to defend against."
The similarities do not end on the offensive side of the ball.
"They are a pretty technically sound team," Palmer said. "They have only allowed 11 goals in 18 games. We've allowed 10 in 19 games. It will come down to who can execute best."
Since it is their first playoff game, it would be an understatement to say that the Spartans will be excited going into the game. Palmer wants his players to enjoy the moment but stay focused on the task at hand.
"We have to take one game at a time," he said. "Everyone we're playing is good. It's important to enjoy where we are but not look ahead too far. You lose one and you're done, so we're not taking anything for granted. We want to prepare for each game and not worry about anything after that. All we're worried about is Saturday."
