The Head Coach of the Emerson Men’s Soccer team couldn’t help but stay up all night, thinking about the Lions loss earlier that evening.
For the past three years, the Emerson men’s soccer team has defeated Lesley University in the Charles River Cup, but on Sept.,On the night of Sept. 23, Jared Scarpaci couldn’t sleep.
The Head Coach of the Emerson Men’s Soccer team couldn’t help but stay up all night, thinking about the Lions loss earlier that evening.
For the past three years, the Emerson men’s soccer team has defeated Lesley University in the Charles River Cup, but on Sept. 23 the Lesley Lynx took home the cup for the first time, leaving Scarpaci restless.
Within the first five minutes, Lesley scored two goals-a difficult let-down, Scarpaci said. Twenty minutes later, captain Casey Shane scored the first goal, instantly boosting the team’s energy. Junior Kevin Peters followed his lead, tying the score off of senior Zach Sayward’s corner kick.
Eric Dabdoub, a Berklee College
junior playing with Emerson as part of the pro/arts consortium, kicked in the third goal just minutes before halftime.
After raising his hands in victory, he dropped them in defeat as the referee blew his whistle, calling an offsides on the play. Scarpaci, who had a similar
vantage point to the referee, witnessed Dabdoub run behind the defense as he drove the ball in.
“Offsides, that’s just part of the game and could have been a big momentum change,” said Shane, a broadcast journalism major. “It would have been a good booster, but we need to learn to reorganize and aim to score another one.”
But it was hard for the team to get it together after half time.At one point, senior Joshua Watkinson, another Berklee player, punched the ground in frustration.
The entire team was let down as the Lynx scored two more goals in the second half, leaving Emerson with a 1-5 overall record after the loss.
Scarpaci took the time after the disappointing result Wednesday night and questioned the team’s motivation. Freshman Lucas Parolin said Scarpaci told them that they were making mental mistakes in the game.
“There’s still a lot of the season left. We need to put this behind us, re-collaborate, refocus, and move forward,” he said.
Shane blames himself for not rallying his team and being a positive example as captain.
“We need to come prepared and ready to win,” he said.
That preparation begins at practice.
Parolin, a print and multimedia
journalism major, said that the practices consist of mostly technical
exercises: drills, scrimmages, possession. Some practices involve 10 versus 10 games that concentrate on the touch, and pressure on defense.
“We’re focusing on defense,” said Scarpaci. “Every training session has a different focus, but we need to get a better intensity level at practice.”
Scarpaci also said that the team’s mentality is now mired in academics. He says the team is at a transition stage with school, juggling classes and a new schedule.
In the midst of the intensifying semester, fans found time to come out and support their team. Chris Nenshati, one of the only starting freshman, found humor in hearing
girls chant his name. He said it made him want to play better to show the fans what he could do.
“I thought about my shots and I realized I didn’t really know what I was doing,” said the starting forward. “Next time I need to look and aim at what I’m doing.”
The Lions followed up their loss to Lesley with two GNAC victories, against Rivier and Emmanuel.
Their record is now 2-2 in-conference. They face their next conference test on Oct. 4 against St. Joseph’s College of Maine.
“The Lions are ready to roar,” Scarpaci said.