Box Score
San Antonio, TX — Yet another chapter was written in the book of Messiah men's soccer lore Saturday afternoon at the Blossom Athletic Center in San Antonio, Texas.
And it was a doozey.
Sophomore Dan Squire scored a goal with less than five minutes remaining in regulation and senior Geoff Pezon blasted home an overtime game-winner against Lynchburg College in the 2010 NCAA Division III National Championship, giving Messiah a pulse-raising, 2-1 OT victory for the program's eighth national title.
Lynchburg's Michael Abbonizio put the Hornets ahead 1-0 with just 14:40 to go in the second half, but the latest dose of Falcons' magic helped capture Messiah's third consecutive golden trophy — and second in choke-on-your-own-spit fashion.
“I told the team afterward, I'm not a real emotional guy,” said second-year Messiah head coach Brad McCarty. “I think I feed off of focus and determination, and ask the same out of the guys. But to give up a goal with 15 minutes left in the national championship game against a team that was playing very well and then to score with four minutes left and then in overtime … it brought me to my knees. After about 10 seconds of celebration, I was on overload a bit emotionally. So, yeah, this will always have a special place in my heart.”
If anything had brought McCarty to a kneeling position prior to the game's conclusion, it was the overall play of Lynchburg (20-5-1). Unranked in either national poll heading into NCAA Tournament play, the Hornets carried their Cinderella story all the way until the bitter end of Saturday's tilt, beating #9 Emory University, #3 Trinity University and #2 Ohio Wesleyan University to arrive on the biggest stage.
Lynchburg wasn't satisfied with just getting there, however, as the team kept Messiah (23-1) from attempting a single shot on goal through the first 85:20, getting the better of the chances throughout the first half. The Hornets' Shawn Bender mis-hit a wide open volley in the 16th minute while another right-footed blast from Bender was pushed just wide five minutes later, keeping the slate clean at the intermission.
Messiah's only dangerous opportunity of the first half came immediately prior to those sequences, when senior Nick Thompson took a cross from junior Kent Ramirez and laced a shot from the top of the 18-yard box that curled into the side netting.
“Lynchburg played really well,” said junior midfielder Tom Renko. “They were keeping the ball in their half. We talk about playing '10-v-8' which is just holding the ball in their half, and we struggled with that a bit. They did a great job in the middle of the field. They were always on our backs, and we didn't have much time or space.”
Sophomore goalkeeper Jake Berry agreed.
“I was a little surprised at how well they were able to keep up with our speed of play,” he said. “A lot of teams can't keep up with us and our depth, especially on the second day of a two-game set. They were in very good shape and they kept up with us. At no point did I think we were incapable of scoring a goal, but they were playing very well.”
The Hornets did not seem to tire as the second half began, utilizing the long-ball throw-in services of senior Zach Ward to generate set-piece opportunities from all over the field. And while the Falcons were able to clear those serves repeatedly, there was nothing Berry and company could do to maintain a scoreless tie in the game's 76th minute.
After Lynchburg won a ball in the midfield, the Hornets' Scott Colman slotted a ball to Abbonizio, who leaned into an absolutely brilliant left-footed shot from 26 yards out, nestling the ball just under the crossbar and inside the right post with 14:40 to go.
As the Hornets celebrated wildly, the reason was clear: Abbonizio's blast was just the type of thing that could settle a game played primarily in the midfield — with neither team being consistently dangerous.
Messiah frantically pushed forward for the equalizer, but the minutes continued to roll of the clock. When Nick Thompson sailed a header over the crossbar on Messiah's sixth and final corner kick with just 5:23 remaining, McCarty pulled out all the stops. Out came junior center back Jordan Sands, and in checked Squire.
“It was the equivalent of pulling the goalie in ice hockey, sure,” McCarty said. “We wanted to continue to play with discipline, but we also had to take some chances. It was what (the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh) did to us (late in Friday's national semi-final), it just went the other way.”
After the Titans pushed forward looking to come back from a 2-1 deficit to Messiah in Friday's contest, the Falcons counter-attacked their way to a 4-1 win. With just 4:40 to go Saturday, the gamble again went in favor of McCarty's group.
As the Falcons looked to create a build up in their attacking third, a Lynchburg defender cleared the ball the entire length of the field, putting Bender in a footrace to the ball with Berry. Charging some 10 yards outside the 18-yard box, Berry got to the ball just a half-step before Bender, blasting a high, spinning ball that came down in the middle of the Hornets' 18-yard box.
What happened next will long be remembered in Grantham.
Shielding his way through two defenders, Squire collected Berry's serve and ripped a low, hard shot from six yards out, beating Lynchburg freshman goalkeeper Michael Releford, who was stuck off his line.
As the Lynchburg faithful pleaded for a foul — it appeared Squire may have put a hand into the lower back of the Hornets' last field player — the request fell on deaf ears. Squire had done it, tying the game just moments after being inserted for that very purpose.
“We don't want to blame a ref for anything,” Lynchburg's Abbonizio said in the post-game press conference. “Yeah, we thought it was a foul, but the (center official) obviously saw it differently. It was a physical game and they let us play all day. I don't think we lost our heads after that goal. We had been tied or down before, and I think we still had belief that we could win.”
Unfortunately for the Hornets, so did McCarty and company.
“After we scored, I thought we had a good chance to win in OT, sure,” McCarty said. “Based on who we have and how we play and the depth we have and the level of fitness and the ability to keep the ball in their end, yeah, I thought we had the ability to score in overtime.”
Ironically, it would be Berry who would allow that chance to occur.
With 4:20 to play in the overtime period, Lynchburg had the first golden opportunity to end things. Off another of Ward's frozen-rope throw-ins, the Hornets' Abbonizio leapt and headed the effort on frame from just eight yards out, sending a hard, low shot to the inside of the left post.
Berry took a step to his right before lunging and fully extending, punching away Abbonizio's effort for his third and final save of the day.
“A few weeks ago, I don't know if I make that save,” Berry said afterward. “Ever since I got here, goalkeeper coaches (Aaron) Schwartz and (Dustin) Shambach have worked with me on footwork, and that's something I struggled with coming in. The last few years I've really worked at it and tried to focus on getting better. The last few years or even the last few weeks I probably would have just tried to dive and get there, but I've got it ingrained in my head to move my feet and get to a spot to make a save. I got my body to a good spot and reaction just helped me to get to it.”
It also helped Messiah get to its eighth national championship.
Just a minute and a half after Berry kept the game alive, Pezon ended it. Taking a feed from junior Derek Black on the left flank, Pezon took several touches in the midfield and beat a defender on his right hip before cutting the ball back to his left.
The ensuing scene was one familiar to Falcons' fans: Pezon struck a low, hard shot to the far post with his left foot, beating a retreating goalkeeper with pace.
As McCarty crumpled to his knees just steps onto the pitch, a strong contingent of Messiah fans rushed the field. Pezon was gang tackled, as San Antonio police officers did their best to pull spectators back to the stands.
It was a futile effort.
Celebrating its third straight national championship and eighth in the last 11 years, Messiah knew how to party. For McCarty — who became the first soccer coach in NCAA history to win championships in his first two years at the helm — it was another reminder of the program's roots.
“I think the foundational principles and core values that (former head coach) Dave Brandt left us with has helped me as a coach maintain the culture and environment of the program,” he said. “And that goes on lots of things. I think it has to do with depth, I think it has to do with how we play, our style of soccer and I think it has to do with our mentality. Whether you have the word 'belief' in there or 'focus' or 'determination,' it's a purpose-driven program. We want to be the best place in the country to play soccer. It's that foundation that gives us something to stand on when the waters are rough.”
Pezon was named the Tournament's Offensive Most Valuable Player award for the second straight year, joining Nick Thompson, Black and junior Danny Thompson on the All-Tournament team. Messiah's senior class became the second group to win three national titles in a row, joining the '06 upperclassmen which won in 2004, 2005 and 2006. The Falcons' other championships occurred in 2000 and 2002.
Perhaps Saturday's only topic of debate for current Messiah players surrounded on which was more intense: The day's nail-biter over Lynchburg or the Falcons' 1-1, 3-0, double-overtime penalty-kick decision over Stephens Tech in the 2008 national championship?
“You can't quantify it,” McCarty said. “Each is special for its own reasons, and each comes with its own story and memories. I've said it before, but the best part about getting to this point is the opportunity to maximize our time together. We've gotten to use every possible day for practice, to be together, to travel together and to get better. We've gotten to max out the time the NCAA gives us. There's nothing better than that.”
Much like he did in the game, Pezon closed out Saturday's press conference on an equally positive note.
“It's been an unbelievable experience,” he said. “I can't really put it into words. We grew through these four years together, became best friends and fought for one another. We play our hearts out for each other. That's what it means to me to play for this team: To work for each other and work for God.”
