A clean 3-1 victory over Berry College (Ga.) on Oct. 21 put an end to the Emory men’s soccer team’s six-game drought. In familiar fashion, the Eagles found renewed energy in the second half to secure a victory, utilizing strong defensive play to allow only nine shots from the Berry College Vikings during the afternoon.
The Eagles were the first on the scoreboard with one of the earliest goals they have had all season. Only 21 minutes into the first half, senior midfielder Aidan Datene routed an assist from senior forward Moustafa Khattab into the left corner of the goal. Emory kept on the offensive after the opening point, sending three more shots on goal in the next 10 minutes.
“We are trying to ramp up some of the intensity in the first 10 minutes and trying to press our opponents a little bit higher defensively,” Head Coach Cory Greiner said. “If we can’t manufacture a goal for ourselves in terms of being dangerous and creating chances, then we can hopefully try to turn a mistake by our opponents.”
The pacing of the first half slowed substantially after Emory found no further success from their early volley of shots. The clock reached five minutes until half without major action, only to be interrupted by a goal from Berry freshman midfielder Mason Hemstreet.
Overall, the half showed even play from both teams. Tied at 1-1 with a shot total of 5-4 (Emory), neither squad found enough leverage to pull away during the first 45 minutes.
Often a second-half team, Emory resumed play with a burst of strength. The Eagles found two shots on goal in the first two minutes, but both deflected. Berry faced a second opponent in the officials, acquiring an unusual five fouls early in the second half.
With 20 minutes remaining in regulation, the Eagles finally obtained the shot they needed. Senior midfielder Michael Stier took advantage of a Berry defensive gap to score, giving Emory a 2-1 lead. Maintaining momentum, Khattab encountered a one-on-one opportunity with the Berry goalkeeper three minutes later, which yielded one more goal.
Stier, who was injured for the past three games, said “it was really nice for me to be able to get back on the field and contribute in an important game.”
After the goals from Stier and Khattab, Stier said the team’s energy was reignited.
“[The team] just kept the pedal to the metal there in the second half and created even more chances,” Stier said. “We dominated after that.”
The match concluded with a slew of substitutions from both teams, eager to keep up the fight. Berry added three more fouls and a penalty to the scorecard in an attempt to take back the lead. Emory held on tight to keep the score at 2-1 and bring home a much-needed win.
On their progress this season, Greiner said the team “hit a stretch early in the UAA that was little bit of a reality check,” adding “I want to make sure we finish strong in the UAA.”
Sunday’s match marked the final non-conference game of the season for the Eagles. Their year so far has told a tale of two teams: one unstoppable regionally and one struggling in its conference. The rest of their schedule provides an opportunity to change that. Three wins in their final three matches would mean an overall record of 12-5-1 and a conference record of 3-4. Current conference leader University of Chicago holds a 3-1 conference record. If UChicago struggles to close out the season, Emory could climb to a tie in both their overall and conference records.
“We want to limit some of the bleeding,” Greiner said of his aspirations for the end of the season. “We also have an opportunity, if we do well, to make the NCAA tournament. That’s been a goal every single year. ”
The obstacle for the Eagles then is not just winning three matches but winning three conference matches. Having won mainly non-conference matches so far this season, the team will need to make some changes quickly to turn their season around, but luckily, the point totals in all their games have been very close. Adjustments to Emory’s first-half strategy such as early goals could be enough to push them to a victory.
One thing is for sure: The Eagles are out of room for error.
Emory will play Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.) on Oct. 26 at 5 p.m. and celebrate Senior Day against Case Western Reserve University (Ohio) on Oct. 28 at 11 a.m. at home.
