Club Soccer teams at Regionals

A weekend characterized by 5 A.M. wake-ups, dewy grass, muddy fields, and 4-6 hours of highly competitive soccer versus the best teams in the Mid-Atlantic region was bound to be an unforgettable adventure. Club Soccer at Hopkins is exactly that — an adventure.

Whether it is extreme weather conditions, ambiguous driving directions, or other financial or logistical setbacks, Club Soccer has seen it all.

As student-led teams that rely entirely on the motivation and dedication of their members, Men's and Women's Club Soccer are a testament to the passion and commitment of a talented group of Hopkins students.

The Men's and Women's Club Soccer teams are diverse in that their members come from every grade, with various majors, hometowns, interests and affiliations on campus.

"I love Club Soccer because I get to hang out with people I wouldn't have met otherwise, and we have the best time together," junior Tracey Vill, a forward and outside midfielder, said.  Team members do have one thing in common: an insatiable love of the game.

Because of a mutual passion for soccer and the necessity of sharing field time and resources, the Men's and Women's Club Soccer teams have a close relationship on and off the field. This was the first year that both teams competed in the Regionals tournament together. Both the Men's and Women's Club Soccer teams were ranked 12th in the region going into the tournament.

The Men's Club Soccer team has won Regionals two out of the last four years, and this year they had an impressive performance in their bracket, beating Brown University 1-0, tying Cornell University's Mundial team 0-0, and beating Steven's Institute of Technology 3-0. The Men's team moved on to the Quarterfinals, where they lost to University of Connecticut.

"The loss was a harsh way for the team to go out, as they played beautiful soccer throughout the tournament, and had it not been for external factors, the team may have made it to Nationals," Men's team coach Chris De Laiglesia said.

Senior Daniel Mandel, Captain of the Men's team expressed his frustration with the manner in which regionals is coordinated. "They have it set up so five games in one weekend determines whether or not you go to nationals. That's not right."

There is no system of league play in the mid-Atlantic region, so bids to regionals are given on a first come first serve basis to only 24 teams. Despite being a consistent top contender for the regionals title, the Men's Club team was waitlisted for Regionals until a week before the tournament this year.

Furthermore, both the Men's and Women's teams struggled with exceedingly wet and muddy fields and a lack of space to warm up with the ball.

Daniel reiterated that, "the fields were downright dangerous; they prevented us from playing our passing game."

Considering their lack of adequate preparation due to their late invite to the tournament, the lack of field quality and the misfortune of several injuries, Daniel is happy with their top eight finish in Region One.

On the soggy fields of the Brandywine Polo Grounds in Toughkenamon, Pennsylvania, the Women's Club team lost to Ithaca College 4-1, tied University of Vermont 2-2, and lost to University of Delaware 3-1.

Despite their underdog status as first year participants without managerial, coaching staff or even a second set of jerseys, the Women's team was able to challenge every opponent. In fact, the Women's team dominated the entire first half of the game verses University of Delaware — the defending champions of the Regional title.

"It was hard to believe that the Women's team were participating in their first regional tournament as they played their games with as much skill as the more experienced teams of the region," De Laiglesia said.

"Yet the lack of familiarity with the competition did eventually come to haunt them, as they were unable to capitalize on any of their leads. However, the future does look bright for the girls, as the talent and determination are unmistakably there."

"I am glad our last fall season as Seniors culminated in regionals. We got to compete against the best teams in the Mid-Atlantic, and that says something," senior Alex Hittman, a starting center midfielder, said.  

At the end of the tournament, the Women's Club team ranked in the top 16 of the 72 women's teams in the region and the Men's Club team finished in the top eight out of 102 men's teams.

"The Men's Club Soccer team should be proud of the performances of the weekend, and hopefully next year's team can go a step further," Coach De Laiglesia said.

Senior Kelly Cummings, Women's co-captain and starting forward had a similarly hopeful outlook for the Women's team. "If there is one way I feel about club soccer, it's proud. Our growth as a team in numbers, commitment and spirit has been incredible."

"As our talent improved along the years, regionals went from being a dream to a possibility. Regionals proved that we are a respectable team with the skill and drive to compete with the toughest opponents. I hope to see this upward pattern continue in the future!"