LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN -- "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." Such words accurately and effectively describe the feelings of the Covenant College men's soccer team, who, in a 48-hour period, endured more emotional ups and downs than perhaps any team Covenant's recent athletics history. Facing Oakland City in a do-or-die semi-final at Scotland Yard last Friday night, the Scots battled back from a second-half, two goal deficit only to succumb to the visiting Mighty Oaks in a penalty shootout that went to extra kicks. The fans left the stands, the seniors left in tears, and the lights were turned out and left off. The 2010 season was effectively over... or was it?
To do justice to the answer to that question, though, it is necessary to start over from the beginning, where Covenant, coming off an impressive 13-6 season, earned top-rights to host the NCCAA Regional Tournament. Seeded beneath Covenant were the eventual region champions Campbellsville University, the always competitive King College, and the Mighty Oaks of Oakland City University. The Mighty Oaks, being fourth seed, were paired up with the top-ranked Scots in a rematch of last season's regional final that Covenant won 2-0, and all the makings of a heated showdown were in place. All that was left was for the two teams to take to the field for battle.
From the start, though, it hardly seemed like it would be a struggle. Covenant enjoyed a large share of the possession, and peppered the Oakland City goal with multiple attempts. Seniors David Pifer and Brian Stair both came close on several occasions, only to see their shots roll just wide and leave the score at level pegging. Oakland City, though, needed just one chance before the stroke of halftime to take the lead, as they went ahead via a powerful, far-post header that left goalkeeper John Eger with no chance. Things got even worse for the Scots after the break, as a quick Oakland City counterattack broke down the defense and saw the Mighty Oaks slip a goal beneath Eger for a 2-0 advantage.
Cue the comeback. Before Friday night, senior defender Jackson Slagle had never scored a goal in his collegiate career. Teammates and coaches would often joke with him about his shot, which was on many occasions, a laughing matter. In high school, a local newspaper once referred to a goal scored by Slagle as coming from an "unlikely source," even though his team's goalkeeper had also scored in that same game. This all goes to show that Slagle – although known for his never-say-die work ethic and adept slide tackles – is not known for his ability to put the ball in the back of the net. On Friday, though, all of this was thrown aside when his 30-yard volley dipped into the upper-corner of the Oakland City net with the precision of a guided missile and the power of its explosion. The goalkeeper had no chance, but with twenty minutes left, Covenant did.
Taking motivation from the senior's inspirational goal, the team rallied together and upped the tempo. The crowd was in a frenzy, and shots were reigning down on the Mighty Oak net, but none were going in. Chris Pifer had a header cleared off the line, Julian Allgeier missed an open net, and the minutes began ticking off the clock all too quickly. But with four minutes left, sophomore Tyler Morrison's cross met the head of senior David Pifer, who headed the ball down towards goal. Fellow senior Brian Stair was on hand to react quickly, and he bundled the ball over the line to knot things up at 2.
Overtime soon followed, and the chances kept coming for Covenant, who hit the post twice in the extra time period and saw a Tyler Morrison header cleared off the line. The Scots just had to score, but seeing as overtime lasts only 20 minutes, the team ran out of time despite racking up 26 shots on goal compared to Oakland City's 9. A shootout was now going to decide their fates.
Oakland City stepped up to the spot first and converted their kick to go up 1-0 before Julian Allgeier, in a redemption effort after his penalty miss against Bryan, scored his to make it 1-1. John Eger then saved Oakland City's next effort, and Brian Stair converted to make it 2-1 in Covenant's favor. Ensuing penalties from David Pifer and Hunt Davidson kept the Scots ahead, and gave the team a one goal advantage going into the final kick. Up stepped Slagle, fresh off his stunning regular time goal and riding the emotions of the fans, coaches, and players behind him. All he needed to do was make the kick and the game would be over... but the keeper saved it. And after Tyler Morrison hit his wide on the next shot, Oakland City, despite being outplayed and out-shot, advanced to face Campbellsville in the Regional Final. For Covenant, it was the end of the line. The fans left, the seniors said their farewells, and the lights went out.
But all was not lost. Nearly 48 hours after the contest, Covenant College Head Coach Nathan Pifer received notice that the Scots had earned an at-large bid and were going to the NCCAA National Tournament as the number one seed.
"We all realize how blessed we are to have been given this second chance," said Pifer. "Now we need to take care of business when we head down to Florida."
For the seniors on the team, it is a chance at redemption. "I just couldn't believe that it could end like that," said senior David Pifer. "To end your career in a penalty shootout is never a fun thing, and now that all of us seniors have realized what it's like to be finished, we don't want to experience it again." The Scots will now travel to Florida for their first-round game next Wednesday.
