Over the weekend, both the Emory University women’s and men’s soccer teams played in the opening rounds of the 2024 NCAA Division III Soccer Championships. The women’s team won 6-0 against Methodist University (N.C.) and then beat Pacific Lutheran University (Wash.) 1-0 in the round of 32. The men's team battled through a tough game against the University of Lynchburg (Va.) but lost 3-0.
Women’s soccer advances to Sweet 16 with two home wins
The women’s team matched up against Methodist at home for their opening national tournament game. From the first half, the Eagles dominated the game on both offense and defense.
Sophomore midfielder and defender Madison Teng scored the first of three first-half goals, assisted by sophomore forward Kaitlyn Nimmer. In the 24th minute, freshman forward Mikayla Camp scored with a long distance strike, which was followed up just two minutes later with a goal from junior defender Michelle Davidson.
The Eagles maintained their offensive momentum in the second half, with freshman forward Alexandra Burtis-Wyant scoring the Eagles’ fourth goal in the 70th minute off of Nimmer’s third assist of the day. The team struck quickly again with freshman midfielder and defender Laina Denys scoring the team’s fifth goal, followed just six minutes later with a penalty kick goal from sophomore goalkeeper Rachel Carr. Davidson said that Carr’s goal was one of the most memorable moments of the game.
The game ended with zero shots on goal from Methodist, a testimony to the strong Emory defense. Davidson said that the midfield group was the key to their defensive efforts.
“Midfield was just really locked in today,” Davidson said. “They kept the fort down. They’re always super solid.”
The No. 23 Eagles’ next game against No. 21 Pacific Lutheran was far from easy. The team relied on their defense to keep Pacific Lutheran’s shot attempts at bay. In the first half, junior goalkeeper Sophia Garcia stepped in with two big saves as the Eagles worked to gain an advantage. While it was a tough game, Nimmer said ball movement was the key to gaining the upper hand.
“Definitely a much more competitive game today, so we just had to make sure that we kept the ball and kept it moving,” Nimmer said. “Once we did that, we were able to get control of the game.”
The Eagles showcased their strong defense again in the second half, not allowing a single Pacific Lutheran shot. In the 72nd minute, Nimmer scored the game-winning goal that Emory needed. She had the help of sophomore forward Emily Woodall, who took advantage of a defensive mistake by Pacific Lutheran’s goalkeeper.
“She wins the ball from the keeper, she just doesn’t stop,” Nimmer said. “She gets the ball, gets into the box, deflection and I was just there to clean it up. Relentless energy from myself and the team and it paid off.”
The Eagles were able to hold onto the lead during the remaining minutes of the game to secure the win and move onto the Sweet 16, where they will face Loras College (Iowa) on Nov. 23.
Freshman forward Finn Jacobson avoids a slide tackle during a game against Oglethorpe University (Ga.) on Sept. 2.
Men’s soccer struggles in first round exit
The men’s team faced the Lynchburg Hornets earlier this season when they scored two late goals to secure a 2-1 win. Heading into their second matchup against the Hornets, junior midfielder Josh Grand said the Eagles had a determined mindset.
“It was the same mindset we’ve had the whole season, which was that adversity was never going to stop us,” Grand said.
The Eagles faced that adversity throughout the entire game. They attempted just one shot in the first half, and the Hornets scored a goal in the 38th minute to put the Eagles down 1-0. After falling behind in the game, Grand said the team knew they had to attack harder.
“Once they scored their first goal, we all took a step back and tried to put ourselves in the same position we were in last time we played them, which was an early goal, which set up a comeback,” Grand said.
In the second half, the Eagles increased their intensity with four shot attempts. Senior winger Sebastian Rincon and freshman defender Phillip Head each took one shot, and graduate forward Ryan Winkler attempted his third shot of the game. However, the Lynchburg goalkeeper blocked all attempts.
The game ended with two more goals by Lynchburg, setting the final score of 3-0. However, the Eagles did not hand Lynchburg the win. Grand said the team never faltered in their attitude and battled until the final whistle.
“Throughout the whole 90 minutes, everyone was under the impression that we were going to win that game no matter what was thrown at us,” Grand said. “That wasn’t the case, but it does feel a lot better to be surrounded by 10 other guys who won’t just give up at the first sign of adversity. It’s a testament to the culture of our team and how we’ve learned to adapt to our circumstances.”
The men’s team ended their season with a University Athletic Association (UAA) title and three players — Winkler, Grand and sophomore forward Lorenzo Avalos — made the All-UAA First Team. Winkler also took home the UAA Offensive Player of the Year award. Graduate defender Jake Atallah and sophomore winger Julian Hee earned spots on the All-UAA Second Team, while sophomore defender Michael Constant gained an honorable mention.
Grand reflected positively on what the team accomplished this year, noting that their ability to bounce back after struggles made their season more meaningful.
“I’m extremely proud of the team,” Grand said. “The fact that we did face adversity this year — we were handed some tough losses — and were still able to come back from those and find success later on in the season really made it even more satisfying than last year.”
