Men's soccer: Bad luck impedes NCAA aspirations

Unfortunately, luck is one thing that has been in short supply for the team this year. The Elis entered the season with high hopes of winning the NCAA bid that eluded them last year, but have since suffered from numerous injuries, including the season-ending losses of Brian Lavin, PC '02, and Greg Bassman, DC '99, and four one-goal defeats. As Ryan Berry, MC '99, explained, "The season's been a little disappointing. It's been a really unlucky year; we've had so many injuries of people with huge roles and haven't really had any point where we've been healthy."

Assistant coach David Barrett also attributes the team's current 6-5-1 (1-2 Ivy) record to a string of bad luck. "I think the season has been one of ups and downs," Barrett said. "The downs have come from injuries and poor luck, not from a lack of hard work."

Of course, in sports, luck can always change. Although the Bulldogs lost another close game last week to a talented Dartmouth team, the players and coaches see that game as a positive turning point in their season. Barrett stated, "The good news is that the season is not over yet. The game at Dartmouth gave us a lot of confidence. We're starting to get things together in time for the home stretch."

Some formerly injured players are now playing again and contributed to a 1-0 shutout of Holy Cross on Tues., Oct. 20. If the men can win their final four Ivy League games, three of which are at home, they will finish with a 5-2 record and probable second or third place finish in the Ivy League. In fact, if a couple of the league's other teams get unlucky, the team could even win the title and bid that alluded it last year. Berry commented, "Whoever wins this league will not be undefeated. If everything goes right, we still have a shot at the crown."

--Deirdre Brill

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