As the temperature dropped and leaves began to fall, the Guilford men’s soccer season came to an end Sunday. Despite a loss, players look back on it as a positive experience.
“We’re really talented and persistent; we haven’t given up the whole season,” said first-year Mark Mazzone. “We got through the tough times and turned them into something positive.”
This year’s team consisted of fifteen returning letter winners and eight newcomers from Coach Jeff Bateson’s first recruiting class. Throughout the season, the team focused heavily on how to work together.
“It’s been a year full of learning how to get better, how to compete, and how to play the game,” Bateson said. “It’s been a building process.”
Despite losing their final game of the season on Oct. 23 against Roanoke College, the Quakers qualified as the eighth seed in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) tournament for the first time since the 2004 season. They finished the season with five wins, twelve losses, and one tie, as they prepared to take on the topped ranked Virginia Wesleyan.
“We hope for a win in the playoffs, but most importantly we need to play well, like we’re capable of playing,” Bateson said before their tournament game. “When we reflect, we’ve grown a lot this year.”
After a long and testing season, the Quakers came together for their first ODAC game.
“We agreed as a team that no matter what happened during the game, in victory and defeat, we would play as one,” said senior Neil Meguid. “And that is exactly what we did. We played with pride, and stood our ground for ninety-eight plus minutes and gave absolutely everything we had.
On Sun. Oct. 28, the Quakers squared off against the Virginia Wesleyan Marlins, who have won 16 of 18 games this season and are ranked 17th in the nation for Division III.
“The players went to the game with the right attitude and played very well,” Bateson said. “They had a chance to win and certainly need to be proud of the effort they gave.”
Guilford fought until the end, losing 2-1 with only 1:40 left in the overtime period. This game demonstrated immense improvement for the Quakers after their previous 8-0 defeat against the Marlins.
“After a harsh loss with them earlier in the season, the fact that we lost in overtime shows what our team can do when we’re mentally in the right place,” said junior Sam Huff.
The ODAC tournament gave the team an opportunity to bring together everything they’ve been working on throughout the season.
“It’s been a very up and down season. We beat some good teams and lost to some bad teams; we just haven’t put it all together yet,” said Assistant Coach, and former four year starter for the Quakers, Zane Campbell.
For the team’s seniors, their last game may have been a loss, but it was one they will remember in a positive light.
“After the defeat, I looked around at my teammates and I knew that, without a doubt, they gave everything they had for our seniors,” Meguid said. “And as a result of their efforts, I am so proud of my last game in a Guilford College uniform.”