By Demi Smith
Staff Writer
After fighting it out all season long, this soccer season has finally come to an end. Although it was not the result they were looking for, the men’s soccer team can’t be too upset with how their season ended.
The Apaches ended their regular season winning the majority of their games with a record of 16-2. All of their hard work during the season paid off as it secured them a spot in the national tournament.
“It was a great season overall,” said freshman Yaw Amankwa. “We worked hard all season to get as far as we did.”
The team felt they were well prepared as they headed into the tournament. The Apaches have won three national championships in the past five years, so they entered the games expecting a repeat.
“Throughout the whole week, the vibe within the team helped tremendously,” said sophomore Hector Lasso. “ We were focused from day one, on and off the field. We know what we had to do, which was to win, but we also knew it wasn’t going to be easy.”
On a chilly night, the Apaches opened the national tournament with confidence. The team won three out of their four games. In the first game they played the Community College of Baltimore County, which was an aggressive game with multiple fouls called, but the Apaches still secured the win 2-1. They defeated the ASA Avengers 2-0 scoring the first goal in 55 seconds, and San Jacinto Community College 2-0, which is one of their top rivals.
On Saturday, Nov. 23, one of the coldest days of the week, the Apaches prepared to play the game that would decide if they would retain their national title. Despite the weather, the fans still came out to support the team. The team competed against Iowa Western, the only undefeated team and ranked number one in the nation. Although the Apaches played a hard game, it ended in defeat, which was a shocker to most. The final score was tied 1-1 but because of penalties they could not pull off the win.
“Winning is contagious,” said Lasso. “ After winning a national championship last season as a freshman, winning was all I had in my mind. I really wanted another ring, especially since I’m a sophomore. We battled hard ,but it didn’t come out the way we wanted it to.”
The team was really upset that they did not hold on to the national title like they expected to.
“I was really disappointed that we lost,” said Amwankwa. “ Since I’m a freshman I have another season to win. So we just have learn from it, so it doesn’t happen again.”
Despite their heartbreaking loss, the Apaches had a productive season that they can build on next year.
“I think we had a really good season,” said Lasso. “The characters we have on our team made it more enjoyable. Since day one, we’ve clicked together. We all knew what we were here for. We had our ups and down but we never broke apart as a team. That’s just our Apache Mentality.”
