On Tuesday, Sept. 1, the Red Men of Carthage College traveled from Kenosha, Wis. to Stewart Field to mark the start of the regular season for Colorado College men’s soccer, a season with expectations of a big postseason run.
The first 10 minutes of the game were dominated by hard pressure from Carthage as they were dictating the quick pace of the game; however, their man-to-man tempo led to a hole in their defense, which senior Max Grossenbacher exploited following a steal.
“He made a great stop then played me for an open finish that was deflected by their keeper into Soren’s half-volley finish,” said starting midfielder Brian Rubin.
CC was up 1-0, but Carthage, still energized, returned fire on a cross from the right side that caused a miscommunication followed by a sleazy finish from the Red Men forward. Now tied at 1-1 and carrying the spark from the tying goal, Carthage pressed on and dictated the rest of the half.
The second half was a different story. The Red Men came out gassed, finally feeling the effects of playing at 6,000 feet. The Tigers controlled the tempo and fired on all cylinders. CC had numerous shots on goal, and just as it seemed as if they might be able to sneak one in, an hour and a half lightning delay brought the contest to a halt with 26 minutes remaining.
“We were all pretty upset because we were controlling the game and had all the momentum in our favor,” said Rubin. “Carthage was tired and out of position, and the lightning delay gave them an opportunity to recharge.”
Some fans took advantage of the lightning delay. “I mean, dude, I was starving,” said Hunter Henniger, CC men’s soccer aficionado. “Thanks to that lightning delay, I was able to snag some yogurt and granola and use the restroom without missing any of the game.”
A minute and 30 seconds after the two teams retook the pitch, Carthage played a ball over the top, and the Red Men forward finished the one-on-one with sophomore keeper Theo Hooker. The rest of the game was a gritty push by CC to equalize. With five minutes left, sophomore Tim Huettel did just that off of a cross from the lone freshman back, Keenan Amer.
“It felt like, frankly, ineffable,” said Huettel. “I guess you could say it was a combination of exhilaration and satisfaction. The second I scored I looked up at the stands and saw my grandpa. He gave me a sort of half-grin and thumbs-up. I mean, picture that—that’s what soccer is all about. I knew, like my grandfather did, that we were going to score another one.”
In a 10-minute golden goal extra time period, with all momentum at their back, the Tigers were relentless. Unable to handle the heat, the Carthage Red Men took down freshman midfielder Rob Malone at the top right of the box. Lefty center defender Jack McCormick came in to finish the job, placing the free kick around the wall and into the bottom left corner. Finally, the game, characterized by McCormick as “physical” and played in “less than ideal circumstances” came to a close.
McCormick reflected on the game and its impact on the season. “Expectations for the game were obviously to go out and get a win any way possible—to start the season right and improve as a team,” he said. “I was pleased with the result and the persistence of our young team.”
McCormick also added that, though there is room for improvement, this result reassured him of the team’s capabilities.
“There are a few things we need to work on this week,” he said. “But I was overall impressed and encouraged we were able to fight and get this win over a good team.”
This weekend the 1-0 Tigers continue out-of-conference play in California for a pair of contests with Pomona-Pitzer and University of Redlands.
“The first four games are very important,” said Rubin. “They are against four of our toughest opponents, are out of conference, and really set the tone for the rest of the season. These games will help determine a spot in the tournament.”