The Colgate University men’s soccer team beat the University of Virginia Cavaliers 1-0 on Aug. 25, a major upset against a rival that had multiple “heavy advantage[s]” and out-shot the Raiders almost ten-to-one. The game was marked by excellent moments from multiple members: Sophomore Jack Beerling scored the game-winning goal in the first-half, and Senior goalie Oliver Townsend saved eight shots , an impressive career high.
Although the Raiders were facing a well-appointed opponent, they walked onto the field assured of their own capability and talent.
“Before the game, we were all extremely confident, and even though on paper we were seen as the underdogs, there was a sense of confidence that we were going to get something out of the game and get a good result,” Beerling said.
Junior Cason Stafford agreed with Beerling’s analysis of the team’s attitude. A veteran player, he compared the win over UVA to past victories, noting the history of men’s soccer defying the odds.
“I was a part of two big upsets my freshman year against Providence and Cornell, and we had also just put in a good performance against Syracuse, so I think there was a lot of commitment to each other and confidence that we can beat a team like UVA,” Stafford said.
After the game, emotions were high. The Raiders celebrated on their way home, reaffirming their commitment to excellence and to each other.
“We executed our game plan to perfection and defended like warriors. For me personally to score my first career goal was a moment I’ll never forget,” Beerling said. “The whole team was ecstatic with the result, and the long journey home was made a lot better knowing we’d had a great win […]. Going into the game, I imagine a lot of people would’ve ruled us out as underdogs […]. I think we proved a lot of people wrong by having a solid game plan and being a team that was extremely hard to break down and beat.”
Stafford also highlighted the warm and supportive team culture.
“My biggest takeaway from the game is that, as a team, we shouldn’t ever go into a game this year without the belief that we can go win — no matter the opponent,” Stafford said. “Some games will require a different style of play and different type of commitment, but our team has no limits […].”
The Raiders are looking towards their regular season games and the Patriot League Championships with enthusiasm and firm optimism.
“The win has certainly given the team a lot of confidence that we can compete and go toe-to-toe with the top teams in the country. It’s also set a level for us that our performance should be at that standard every game we play. It’s still very early into the season, and we have a long way to go, but we’re all extremely excited to get into our Patriot League games,” Beerling said. “We have an extremely talented group of lads that look out for each other both on and off the field.”
“I think our goal has always been the same around the locker room but I would say that win definitely gave the team a bit of confidence moving into Patriot League games next weekend,” Stafford said.
First-year Connor Hearn was excited about his first away victory as a Raider and expressed optimism for the rest of the season.
“To pull off an upset like that against the [former] No. 13 ranked team in the nation showed us what we would be capable of achieving this season. We know it’s going to be a special year for us,” Hearn said.
“We’ve had a couple of good results so far and are playing exciting soccer,” Beerling said. “We start our Patriot League season this Saturday [Sept. 14] as we play Lafayette at 4 p.m. on [Beyer-Small ’76 Field], so it would be great to see as many people as possible there.”
