It was a season to remember for the men's soccer team, who finished the 2012 campaign not only with their first University Athletic Association (UAA) championship since 2008, but also with just the second NCAA Tournament victory in program history.
Perhaps no player had a bigger role in the title run than senior midfielder co-captain Andrew Natalino, who has started 74 of the Eagles' 75 games in his four years at Emory before earning the his first conference title in the last regular season match of his career.
"Andrew has always been a major factor in this team's success," Head Coach Sonny Travis said.
He has certainly been the biggest constant over this period. Natalino has spent time all over the field throughout his Eagles career, spending time as a forward, defender and midfielder.
But no matter where he was playing, Natalino has consistently drawn the praise of his coaches and teammates for his clutch play and leadership skills.
"Natty's ability to lead through his actions always inspired me," sophomore forward Dylan Price said. "He was always someone you could rely on in difficult situations to get the team going."
Natalino started his freshman year on defense, helping to anchor an Eagles back line that held opponents to just 0.95 goals per game. He was named to the Sonny Carter all-Tournament Team after scoring his first career goal in a 6-1 victory over University of the Ozarks (Ark.).
He stepped into more of an attacking role as a sophomore, leading the team with 11 goals and 26 points. For his efforts, he earned Third Team all-American, First Team all-South Atlantic Region and First Team all-UAA honors.
Travis pointed out that Natalino's recognition as an All-American was even more incredible in light of the fact that he had switched positions, and was indicative of his versatility.
That sophomore year was a record-setting one for Natalino. He became the first player in program history to earn all-American honors as an underclassman. In an impressive testament to his versatility, he earned the UAA Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week awards just a month apart.
For all his success, Natalino admits there was some initial disorientation in switching to the attack.
"I was playing a different position, and sometimes I was running around out there not knowing what I was doing," he said.
He once again earned First Team all-South Atlantic Region and First Team all-UAA honors as a junior. Despite shifting back to defense, he still set a career high in assists with four.
Despite all these individual honors and accolades, however, Natalino was still missing one thing: a UAA title. But that goal was finally fulfilled this season, as the Eagles rebounded from a slow start to finish with a share of the conference title.
"We started off playing pretty poorly," Natalino said, "But by the end of the year we had hit our stride a little bit."
He continued: "Obviously we would've liked to win the UAA four years in a row, but I think everyone's pretty satisfied with this season."
Natalino led the team in his senior campaign with 31 points and 14 goals, once again earning First Team All-UAA honors.
His biggest game on the season came in the team's biggest game. In the opening round of the NCAA Tournament against Roanoke College (Va.), he contributed two goals and an assist to a 4-1 victory, becoming in the process the first player in program history to score multiple goals in a postseason game.
Natalino cited the Roanoke game as the highlight of his senior campaign, but, as usual, deflected the praise: "Everyone stepped up."
Perhaps Natalino's most telling accomplishment is the fact that he leads all players in program history in total minutes played.
For four straight seasons, he has led a senior class that includes defenders Alex Scott (second place all-time), David Garofalo (fourth) and David Langton (sixth) – a class that has finally pinned down that elusive UAA title.
"I think [the title] was a giant step forward for our program," Travis said. "These seniors gave our younger guys a lot more confidence."
Even while constantly shifting positions, Natalino recorded 32 career goals and finished his career in a tie for 11th place in school history.
He ranks seventh all-time in shots with 154 and 15th in points with 75.
Additionally, he leads the Eagles all-time with six penalty kicks, ranks fourth with eight game-winning goals and is tied for fifth with 81 shots on goal.
Despite his heavy presence in the record books, Natalino's peers are quick to cite his team-first attitude. He, too, has consistently dismissed personal achievements for the good of the team.
"I was always a player who put the team first and did whatever I could to help the team win," he said of his legacy as an Eagle.
Travis offered another take: "He's a great athlete who always came up big when we needed him."
After completing his major in economics, Natalino hopes to continue his soccer career at home or overseas.
"I'm definitely going to take some time off to heal," Natalino said "Then I'll try to play in either [the United States] or Europe. If that doesn't work out, I want to travel the world a bit, try to have a fun time before I become a boring old person."
No matter where he goes, his Eagles legacy is already set in stone.
"It was awesome getting a chance to play him with," said Price. "I can't imagine what it's going to be like next year without him."
– By Ryan Smith
