Men's Soccer falls just short of CC title game

While most students were preparing for Halloween festivities last Wednesday night, Hopkins men's soccer played the most exciting game of their season with a dazzling overtime win against Franklin & Marshall (F&M). Defeating F&M in regular season play 1-0, Hopkins had the home field advantage once more in the conference playoffs.

With the student section roaring in support, Hopkins wasted no time in taking it to the Diplomats. Junior Gus Ingaglio had a quality look at goal in the 11th minute with a 15-yard strike that skimmed off the post and out of bounds. Chances went back and forth in the first half, evident by the 10-7 shot count slightly in favor of the opponent, F&M caught a lucky break in the 19th minute with a scuffle in the six-yard box. Long throws have given the Blue Jays some issues in the past, and would prove to be a problem this evening as well. After winning the header off the throw, the ball found the feet of Diplomat Jared Bomba as he tapped it past sophomore keeper Nick Cerrone.

Not to be discouraged by the sloppy goal, the Jays pushed on, getting another close opportunity in the 25th minute. Free kick specialist Ian Heinrich powered a shot through the wall from the left hand corner of the 18-yard box, which ricocheted off the gloves of the keeper. Freshman Josh Hong was there for the rebound, but was unable to convert as the ball sailed wide.

Diplomat pressure picked up from this point, with a harrowingly close call in the 38th minute. Coming off another long throw, a well placed Diplomat header forced Cerrone to make a fantastic save with a tip over the cross bar. Facing a 1-0 deficit going into halftime, the Blue Jays refocused themselves for the next half.

From the restart, it was clear that the home team had the momentum. Despite the score, Hopkins demonstrated confident possession of the ball, utilizing their core center midfielders. As seen with the shot count, the Blue Jays edged out the Diplomats 7-5 in the second half, on top of earning the only corner kick of the half.

Sophomore outside midfielder Kotaro Mitsuhashi's footwork was nothing short of a spectacle, creating space in impossibly tight situations to get a handful of shots off. Similarly, freshman sensation Ian Heinrich continued to light up the Diplomat defense with quality shots, including an amazing volley attempt in the second half that just flew over the cross bar.

With the clock winding down, Heinrich was able to release a cross deep into F&M territory. Scrambling to get on the end of it, the first two shots were blocked by the keeper, before finally finding the back of the net when junior Danny Reategui struck the decisive blow in the 84th minute. Electrifying the crowd, Reategui forced the overtime.

Amped up and ready to go, senior Brandon Sumpio wasted no time in securing the slot to the semifinals with a once-in-a-lifetime volley. Reategui sent in a cross that was initially deflected out, but Sumpio headed the ball away from the goal, giving the impression that he was going to settle it and then send the ball back in. However, the senior ripped a volley from the most unlikely angle with his back to the goal. The F&M keeper dove in vain as the ball found the inside of the far post.

Ending his career on Homewood field with that historic golden goal, the entire team rushed the field to congratulate the senior.

Unfortunately, the season would end for men's soccer only a few days later with the disappointing loss on the road to Swarthmore. The Garnet was too much for Hopkins to handle as relentless pressure and cheeky footwork caused the defense to crack twice in the first half and again at the beginning of the second. Even though the result was a 3-0 victory for Swarthmore, Hopkins left it all on the field and earned the right to hold their heads high at the conclusion of their season.