By Chris Vaccaro
Three seasons have passed since the Pride men's soccer team entered the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) and the first two saw a brush against the playoff door, but no busting through. Like the cliché says, "Third time's a charm."
In the team's 50th anniversary season, one with a rough schedule with plenty of twists and turns, the Pride (8-9-1, 4-4-1) clinched a CAA Tournament berth for the first time with a 2-0 victory over Drexel University (5-12, 2-7) at Vidas Field on Thursday.
Going into the final two weeks of the last two seasons the Pride came up short in both chances at a CAA playoff push. While at times the team had late-game problems, it's evident it did not have late season problems.
The Pride, seeded fifth in the CAA, have a difficult field of opponents ahead of them. The Pride beat the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW), 2-0, Tuesday and play Virginia Commonwealth tomorrow.
Before the Tournament, the Pride dealt with the Dragons on the road. Unlike the turf field at Hofstra Soccer Stadium, the natural grass at Vidas Field allows for the negative effects of weather to obstruct playing conditions. The muddy field stopped flow for both sides, as both teams went scoreless in the first half.
"The rain really made it difficult to play," coach Richard Nuttall said. "We battled hard and played very well through the conditions."
In the 67th minute with 24:22 remaining in the game freshman forward Chris Cox scored the eventual game-winner. Junior forward Michael Todd initiated the drive with a low cross to the penalty area. This play drew Drexel goalie Nick Marci off his line to stifle the ball close to the far post. The Pride got a break when the ball came loose and into its possession. Cox beat one defender to the ball for his first goal of the year on an empty net from six yards out to give the Pride a 1-0 lead.
The only semi-positive for the Dragons came when freshman forward Jack Przednowek had a break in the penalty area, took junior goalie Matthias Gumbrecht off his line, and took a chip shot that was stopped when Gumbrecht managed to get a hand on it.
Both teams stayed evenly matched the entire game, and until the final minute only Cox's goal had been registered.
The Pride earned an insurance goal a Dragon clearing attempt was intercepted by senior midfielder Matthew Telling near the left sideline. His pass was picked up by uncovered junior Jason Gates past the penalty area. Macri came out far enough to collide with Gates, forcing both to lose composure. Gates regained possession of the ball and scored from 20 yards out on an open net as Macri was still down.
"Gates has worked extremely hard this season and especially in the last few games," Nuttall said.
Not only are the top names on the team playing their hardest, but the entire roster is giving its all. This year's team has the fire and determination to win.
"The entire team is playing great. All of them are trying so hard," Nuttall said when asked about the team's participation. "Early on because of our work ethic I felt comfortable that we were going to win this game."
Gumbrecht recorded his fifth shutout of the year and had three saves. The Pride led in shot attempts, 16-7.
The last two games will work as motivation for the Pride in the first round of the playoffs. Even with winning four of its last six games, the biggest win came over No. 15 James Madison Unversity in a 2-1 victory.
The Pride beat UNCW, 3-2, to end a lengthy six-game road trip earlier in the season. One goal was scored in the 79th minute, which helps to show that their late game strengths prove to be a weakness the Pride can use to its advantage.
Freshman Chris Cox and junior Jason Gates pursue the ball in action against the University of Delaware last week. The Pride sealed its first playoff birth in three years since joining the CAA with a win over Drexel University on Thursday. (Staff Photo)