On Nov. 16, Salt Lake Community College men’s soccer wrapped up their season in the semi-finals of the NJCAA Championship after a heartbreaking loss during the game’s penalty shootout.
Playing against Monroe College in Wichita, Kansas, both teams remained tied 1-1 at the end of overtime. With penalties as the deciding factor, SLCC ultimately lost after missing two of the five kicks.
The Bruins finished their regular season in second place in Division 1 of the NJCAA, behind Arizona Western College. As the second-ranked team, SLCC got a chance to play in Wichita for a national championship. The team advanced to the semifinals after an overtime win in the tournament’s quarterfinals.
Despite the national championship loss, the Bruins’ coaching staff and players said they viewed the season as a success.
“There were a lot of positives to take away from this season. We won our conference and region,” said Sawyer Heaton, a forward on the team. “We finished the regular season undefeated, and not many players can say they made a national semifinal.”
Heaton added that he felt he improved as a player this season and exceeded personal expectations for his playing. The coaching staff felt similarly, with goalkeeper coach Larkin Noble saying he saw improvement throughout the season.
“The goalkeepers’ performance was stellar throughout the season,” Noble said. “From day one until the final moment in the [semifinals], the goalkeeper crew improved.”
“[The team] listened and applied their training to their full potential,” Noble continued. “From the coaching staff, players and team managers, we all knew our jobs and completed them properly.”
The regular season
From the beginning of the regular season in August, the Bruins team and staff brought fight and passion to every practice and match.
The Bruins started out scorching hot, collectively scoring 21 points in their first four games and conceding zero. The Bruins’ first non-win came against Snow College, where both teams tied 2-2. The Bruins then cruised through their next seven conference games, winning each one.
After a tough 2-2 tie at Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, Nevada, the Bruins won their final three games and subsequently their conference. SLCC finished the regular season with 74 goals and only conceded nine.
Championship play
Next came the regional tournament. The Bruins won their first game comfortably 2-0 and proceeded to defeat Utah State University Eastern 3-1, making SLCC regional champions.
“What made our team so successful this season was being able to push through adversity,” said Bruins midfielder Finn Jacobs.
Perseverance was found to be necessary to win the regional championship. Even with a rolled ankle, Heaton was determined to keep going. “After pushing through what we have all season, I wasn’t going to let that stop me,” Heaton said.
“I limped around and pushed through the remainder of the match and ended up scoring the first goal to put us up 1-0,” continued Heaton, who went on to be named the most valued player of the tournament. “I think that game represented the whole season. We didn’t let hard moments stop us from winning.”
The NJCAA National Championship was the last tournament on the agenda for SLCC. After a promising win against Indian Hills Community College, the Bruins lost their next match to Barton Community College 1-2 in overtime.
However, the Bruins later defeated Barton Community College on Nov. 15 in a playoff game. This allowed them to advance directly to the semifinals, where they ultimately fell to Monroe College. A win against Monroe College would have marked the third consecutive NJCAA championship for SLCC.
A success nonetheless
Playing soccer at a high level while balancing school is not an easy task.
At the start of the season, players said they had trouble balancing school and sports, but ultimately, they found a groove. “I had trouble at first trying to maintain two things at once, but I ended up figuring it out towards the end of the season,” Jacobs said.
One of the most difficult aspects of starting a new season is getting to know new players and coaching staff.
“I remember our first meeting and most of us being strangers. We came from all over the world. I spent two years in Ghana, and I remember being excited to meet Shaddy, a Ghanaian teammate,” Heaton said.
“We all got along from the start,” Heaton continued. “It was more natural than I thought it would be, and everyone got really close, really fast. I think we bonded over being so different and coming from such different backgrounds. We loved to learn about each other’s past and ways of life.”
SLCC’s season was rather successful, a point of note being that the Bruins only lost two regular season matches all year. The goal, the team said, is always to come out on top and be the best, but sometimes things don’t quite work out.
“You can do everything correctly and still get beat,” Noble said. “It’s all just a part of the game.”
Bruin men’s soccer is already focusing on the next season, with hopes of bringing home a championship in 2024. Visit the SLCC Athletics website for season stats and player-specific stats.
