Sports
Men's soccer misses playoffs despite win
By Scott Etkin '14, Sports Contributor
October 27, 2011
The way the phrase “must-win game” is thrown around by professional sports analysts, the notion of a team desperately in need of a victory has lost some of its significance. On Saturday, Oct. 22, however, Hamilton’s season was truly on the line as they took on Tufts at Love Field in their final NESCAC match-up of the season. Then in ninth place in the NESCAC standings, the Continentals needed the three points from a victory to move up into the eighth and final playoff spot. Luckily for the Continentals, the tense circumstances brought out the best in them.
Trailing 1-0 at halftime, Hamilton evened the score in the 79th minute on a shot off a loose ball by Griffin Abbot ’15. The teams played to a draw until just after the start of the second overtime period, when Abbot struck again for the decisive goal off captain Frank Campagnano’s ’12 assist.
Although the comeback meant Hamilton gained a two-point advantage over Colby in the NESCAC standings, they had to await the results of the Colby vs. Bates game on Oct. 26 to know for sure if they have made the playoffs. A Colby loss or tie would have ensured Hamilton a playoff berth. Sadly, Colby’s 3-2 win bumped Hamilton out of the playoffs and left Bates to finish the season winless in the NESCAC.
While the dramatic win was certainly a cause for celebration for the Continentals, the uncertainty of their playoff fate puts them in an uncomfortable position.
“It’s a little bittersweet,” said Coach Perry Nizzi. “You always hate to put yourself in this position at the end of the year, especially when you’re a really good team, where you have to win a tough game, and if you go all out and find a way to win the game you still have to sit around waiting three to four days to see.”
Still, the emotional victory marks a high point in Hamilton’s season, a year in which the team has had to overcome a switch into a more competitive conference and an ongoing list of injuries that has kept many key players from the field.
“At some point in the season, we ended up with seven starters not playing, and it was never less than three,” said Nizzi. The struggle to get players healed and back into game-shape has been a defining challenge this season.
After starting the year 0-4-1 in their first five NESCAC games, Hamilton finished with a 2-5-3 conference record. This remarkable turnaround was the result of many factors such as clutch bench play, the return of injured players and a tenacious mindset.
“I think it speaks volumes to them that they could have quit and said we’re not going to make it this year because we’re too hurt or we don’t have enough firepower,” said Nizzi. “But they hung in there and believed the whole way that they could fight their way back in. From that standpoint, it’s a real credit to them. It’s a great hats off to our bench players that have had to step up to keep us in there.”
If Hamilton’s eighth spot in the standings had held, they would have likely taken on the undefeated number one seed, Amherst, this Saturday. If given the opportunity, Hamilton would have looked to avenge the 1-0 loss sustained to the Lord Jeffs over Bicentennial Weekend. Despite missing the playoffs, the Continentals should hold their heads high, since their three-game unbeaten streak to end the regular season would have provided them with momentum had they made the playoffs.