The Colgate Men’s Soccer team had another very successful weekend against Holy Cross. The Raiders hosted the Crusaders this past Saturday at Beyer-Small ’76 Field at 7:00p.m. The Raiders had an impressive 2-0 shutout against Holy Cross, which ups their overall record to 6-6-1 with a Patriot League record of 3-2-0.

 One of the major weaknesses of the team so far this season has been generating aggressive and plentiful offensive opportunities early on in the game. The Raiders did not have trouble with this historic issue in the tilt against the Crusaders, as senior caption Tyler Forbes put the team up one just 10 minutes into the game. Forbes rifled a shot to the upper right hand corner of the net to give the Raiders an early advantage against Holy Cross.

 Junior forward Ethan Kutler still helped orient the Raiders in the offensive zone, working well with his teammates to generate more close opportunities. Kutler had a very close chance to notch one for the Raiders when he took a free kick from the 25-yard mark when there were less than 18 minutes left in the first half. His shot hit the post and then ricocheted out of bounds.

A mere 10 minutes into the second half of the tilt, sophomore midfielder Jared Stroud put the Raiders another one ahead of the Crusaders. Junior goalkeeper Ricky Brown boasted his second shutout of the season and was crucial in the Raiders’ defensive strategy and communication. 

Not only were the players very happy with their effort, but so was Head Coach Erik Ronning. He was extremely excited and proud of his team and shared his thoughts after the game.

 “We did a tremendous job from start to finish tonight. Holy Cross is a very good team. We dictated the tempo for large parts of the game. Our guys believed, they played with energy and it was a total team effort, all credit goes to them. They did a terrific job and we’re very solid defensively in the back and with our press. We moved the ball very, very quickly – probably the best we’ve moved the ball all year – and created a couple really early,” Ronning said.

As the Raiders enter the last games of their season, it is important to carry this momentum into each match. As Ronning said, the team’s effort against the Crusaders was probably the best of the season. Not only were the Raiders homogenous on the defensive end of the field – orchestrating clears and coverage in a very methodical and effective manner – but the team was also succinct in its offensive effort. The Raiders did a very good job of following through with their shots and crashing the net for those spur-of-the-moment scoring chances. Both goals were netted this way. 

Most of all, however, the Raiders were playing extremely smart soccer. They were passing the ball when the ball needed to be passed, they were clearing the ball when it needed to be cleared, and they were realizing and then acting on the holes in the Crusaders’ defense.

The Raiders will saddle up and head down to Annapolis, MD to battle the Midshipmen at 7:00 p.m. this Saturday. The game will be available to stream online. Hopefully the Raiders will be able to capitalize on their momentum and finish up the regular season on a very high note. Going into the Patriot League with momentum will make all the difference for Colgate as they seek the championship title.