Eagles Earn Consolation Bracket Victory For Second Straight Year
The Emmaus men's soccer team finished off their MCCC conference tournament playing for 5th place in the consolation bracket. Their opponents in that match for the second year in a row were the host Saints of Central Christian College of the Bible. The evening before four Eagles were honored for their individual contributions to their teams at the Conference banquet. Brandon Young (#13) earned All-Conference Honorable Mention, Joe Olson (#3) earned Second Team All-Conference, and Elijah Barsness (#1) and Carson McBain (#11) earned First Team Al-Conference Honors. The team itself was selected for the second straight year for the conference Sportsmanship Award.
Having been recognized for their growth off the field, the Eagles looked to finish the tournament strong after a heart-breaking loss to Faith Baptist in the opening game of the tournament. The first 10 minutes of the game looked great for the Eagles, who settled in, played good defense, and found feet quickly. They were awarded in the 4th minute when senior Logan Matenaer (#7) forced a turnover and fed the ball to fellow senior Joe Olson (#3) who fired a shot over the Saints keeper from 30 yards out and into the side netting.
The rest of the half, however, saw the Eagles lose some of their intensity and momentum as the Saints pushed forward looking for the equalizer. After several dangerous buildups, the Saints efforts were rewarded in the 32nd minute when Hunter Chadwell (#18) found a through ball and finished from just inside the 18 to knot things the score at ones. The score stood until the break.
"We told the guys at the half that statistically we had been dominated by the Saints and that if we wanted to win we really needed to up the tempo while also keeping things simple." (Coach Brown)
The Eagles came out fired up in the second half when and created several good chances early. In the 63d minute, just one minute after coming on the field, freshman Nick Fairley (#19) stepped up in a big way. Forward Mason McCarl (#17) won a ball at midfield and played a ball to Gabriel Salines (#5) who played a ball over the top to Fairley who showed great composure by tapping the ball over the Saints keeper and into the net for the 2-1 lead.
The Eagles looked to add to their lead and came close when Saints keeper Lance Patrick made a diving safe at the near post to keep out Brandon Young's header. Minutes later it was the Eagles defense's turn to step up big. Off of a quick transition the Saints found themselves on a 5-2 break. #16 (Jean) fired a shot from close range that Eagle keeper Rasmussen (#00) punched high. The ensuing header by Whitmore (#6) on the far post was on frame, but Rasmussen slid across the goal for the crucial double save. The final minutes saw both teams battle hard with Emmaus keeping the edge and sealing the 2-1 win to claim 5th place in the tournament.
"I was super proud of the guys. They really stepped it up big in the second half and did what we asked. The Saints are a much improved team with a ton of potential moving forward, and it is always a pleasure to match up with Coach Brent Messimer. The game was a great battle and once again we trust that the Lord was honored by our efforts and attitudes. It is a pleasure to go into battle with these boys week in and week out." (Coach Brown).
The Eagles will finish out their regular season with a home match against the Warriors of Calvary Bible College on Saturday, October 29th. Kickoff is scheduled for 11:00 AM.