The first goal of the game arrived midway through the first half. Casey McNamara ’13 placed the ball in the back of the Bantam net with an assist from Spencer Noon ’13. A goal up, the Jeffs maintained the pressure and possession and were rewarded in the 67th minute when James Mooney ’12 latched onto co-captain Matt Lewis ’10’s pass to put the Jeffs up 2-0. The Jeffs were not quite safe yet as Trinity fought back for a last-gasp goal to keep the pressure on until the final whistle. Solid defense, including seven stops from goalkeeper Lennard Kovacs ’12, carried the Jeffs through the game as they closed their regular season with an emphatic win.
However, the Jeffs were unable to repeat the victory on Sunday in the NESCAC quarterfinal and found themselves at the other end of the deficit against sixth-seeded Middlebury. The Jeffs tried to get the game off to a quick start, with McNamara running onto a pass from Ian Rothkopf ’11 and volleying a shot that was blocked by Middlebury goalkeeper Tim Cahill just 20 seconds into the match. Both sides had many shots on goal throughout the half, and the Panthers finally broke through in a set piece with just six minutes left in the first half.
The second half continued in the same fashion with both teams unable to convert chances into goals until the 76th minute. Just 30 seconds after he was introduced, Robert Gooden ’13 combined with G.L. Genco ’10 for a give-and-go before playing a through ball to McNamara to slot underneath the Panther keeper to tie the game, 1-1. However, the Jeffs could not hang on and Middlebury converted a corner into a goal with just 48 seconds left in a heartbreaking finish for the Jeffs. With no time to come back, the Jeffs suffered their first loss after an eight-game unbeaten streak and will not advance into the NESCAC semifinals, though they may still receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The Jeffs can, however, celebrate the success of their high-achieving goalkeeper, Kovacs. The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced the 2009 Academic All-District Men’s and Women’s Soccer Teams on Oct. 29. Kovacs, originally of Wolfersdorf, Germany, was chosen to represent the Jeffs on the All-District Second Team for District 1. Kovacs holds an outstanding GPA of 3.91 as a physics and economics double major. Kovacs is one of five NESCAC athletes selected to an Academic All-District Team and is the leading goalkeeper in the NESCAC in shutouts for the 2009 regular season.