Eagles crowned soccer champions after undefeated season
The UTM Eagles are crowned tri-campus men’s soccer champions for the first time in the program’s history.
The Eagles completed a historic season by taking home the championship title after a fierce battle against UTSG Reds at Varsity stadium last Sunday.
Having won all but one game this season and standing undefeated heading into the finals, the Eagles had confidence that they could take the win home. However, standing between them and the glory of being crowned champions for the first time in program history was a strong opposition with a legacy of tri-campus soccer success.
Varsity Stadium’s turf field was slick under the pouring rain, and the game began fast paced with chances coming from both sides. UTM was close to scoring early, with Aidan Gideon, but was denied after a great run in behind the defense.
Sami Mohaisen kept the Eagles’ net safe with two great saves in the first half, and the teams went into half-time all even. The intensity of the game was, as expected, very high, and the tension only continued to build.
It was Reds who broke the deadlock early in the second half after a half-volley found the back of the net. From then on, it was all UTM. The Eagles turned the game’s momentum on its head, winning every challenge and looking increasingly more dangerous.
It was UTM’s star-boy Aidan Gideon that finally brought his team all-square. The league’s leading goal-scorer finished off a wonderful team goal, where the ball shifted side to side before finding the gap to slip Gideon on goal. After beating his marker, he didn’t hesitate to bag his eighth goal of the season.
It did not take long after that for UTM to find the lead, courtesy of yet another link up play between Pietro Arrigoni and Krish Chavan, who together have been a devastating duo all season. After a dazzling run down the line, Chavan cut the ball back in the danger area of the box, finding Arrigoni, who buried a strike past the goalie.
The many fans who came out to support the Eagles erupted as they took their first lead of the game. But the job wasn’t yet over for the Eagles, and UTSG Reds began pushing hard to find an equalizer. With a little more than ten minutes left in the game, UTM put up a wall to stop any scoring chances. Outstanding performances from center back pairing Sokol Kroqi and Chuks Ugori, as well as goalkeeper Nolan Kacou — called into action after Mohaisen’s injury — ensured the Eagles kept their lead.
As the game winded down, Krish Chavan added an additional solo goal to seal the championship for UTM. As he has consistently done this season, Chavan got the wrong side of the defender, received a through pass, and beat another opponent before slotting the ball in the far corner.
It was now just a matter of waiting for the final whistle. The Reds tried to equalize until the end, but their belief and morale were low, having conceded three times in the final twenty minutes. When the whistle finally came, UTM players rushed the field and began their long-awaited celebrations with their families and fans who came out to support. The ecstasy culminated when captain Erik Selvaggi lifted the trophy to the sky, while the whole team around him cheered in joy.
It was an amazing season for our Eagles, and this win is the product of many sacrifices made in the past few months from everyone who is part of the team. The strength of the group is what made the difference, as the boys came together to create a perfect environment for success.
Everyone played their part in this journey towards making history, but a special appreciation should go to Coaches Szabi Bozsoky and Kevin Iyamabo, the masterminds behind that took this squad to a historic first ever championship.
I got a chance to speak with Coach Iyamabo after the game, who wanted to leave the following message to the players and those reading:
“What a team! Despite injuries and suspensions to key players, the guys played through any adversity and overcame it all. This group was committed and worked tremendously hard this season, week after week, to make this happen. Today they finally got their reward. As coaches we couldn’t be prouder of the comeback win, securing our first championship in school history, and the overall performance and determination shown by the whole team this year!”
