The Ithaca College men’s soccer team drew 0-0 against the Clarkson University Golden Knights on Oct. 25 at Carp Wood Field. A late goal for the Bombers was ruled out for offside with less than 10 minutes to play. With only one game remaining and five points tallied in-conference play, it is no longer possible for the Bombers to reach the Liberty League playoffs.
The final men’s home game at Carp Wood Field brought senior day festivities prior to kickoff. The team will wave goodbye to some key players, including the duo of senior midfielder Gustav Bauerle and graduate student midfielder Ikey Borden, senior midfielder Drew Warren and senior goalkeeper Bryson Shaull.
The Bombers lacked unity in their attack to begin the game, unable to string passes together to create chances in the final third.
Junior forward Jack Carney took charge of the Bombers attack, registering the team’s first two shots on goal of the game.
Moments after a Carney header forced a diving save from the Golden Knights’ goalkeeper, he had the opportunity to capitalize on mistakes from the opposing defensive line.
A through ball that slipped past the feet of a Golden Knights defender gave Carney time to collect the ball and shoot. Carney, striving forward, took his first touch just outside of the opposing box with no defenders near.
Moving inside the box, Carney had plenty of time to inch closer to the goal, but opted to take his shot early. From the right side of the box, Carney struck the ball with the laces of his right foot, guiding the ball across the goal toward the bottom left corner. His attempt lacked power, and the Bombers remained searching for the back of the net.
With both teams growing frustrated at missed chances, the game’s physicality picked up. The aggressiveness from each team boiled over when the referee reached into his pocket to give the Bombers their first and only yellow card of the match.
The Bombers eventually found fluidity in their attack, creating an excess of chances in the final 45 minutes.
Sophomore forward Emmett Enriquez drove the ball down the right wing, using his speed to fly by any Golden Knights defenders that tried to get in his way. Entering the box from the right side, Enriquez slowed things down as two defenders closed in on him. With the inside of his right foot, Enriquez sought to guide the ball in the path of his fellow attacker streaking into the box, but the pass dragged behind his teammate, putting an end to the attack.
As the minutes ticked down on the Bombers’ playoff aspirations, the team’s urgency to score rose. The Golden Knights were content to sit back and defend as the South Hill squad committed more and more bodies up the field.
The Bombers strung together attack after attack and became closer and closer to finding a goal.
With under 10 minutes remaining, Enriquez lined up a free kick on the left side of the opposing half while his teammates awaited the cross inside the box. Enriquez sent the ball sailing in the air with the inside of his right foot, targeted for Carney.
Carney, the frequent target of set pieces at 6-foot-3, moved himself into the path of the inswinging cross and leaped up to beat the Golden Knights goalkeeper, who came off his line. Carney’s head redirected the ball into the vacated net, but as he ran off to celebrate, his eyes met the raised flag of the referee, ruling out the goal.
The Bombers persisted in their late push for a goal.
Playing with care for the little time remaining, the team quickly set up for a corner kick from the right side. First-year forward Emile Antoine eyed up the ball driven on a line, and headed the ball from the far side of the packed box toward the top left corner, only for his effort to be met by the crossbar.
Antoine’s header proved to be the last of the Bombers’ scoring opportunities on the day. As the full-time whistle blew, players collapsed to the ground in exhaustion and in frustration of being unable to keep their season afloat.
Despite the Bombers’ slow descent out of the playoff picture in the back end of their season, head coach Gabe Kuhn stayed proud of his team.
“We always fought hard,” Kuhn said. “It wasn’t the desire to win. Just execution, maybe a call or two with Carney’s flick could have gone either way. [I’m] proud of the boys, proud of our fight this year.”
The Bombers will graduate 12 players, but a healthy first-year class of 13 players gives Kuhn and the team something to look forward to for next season.
“We have a good returning class, and the first-year guys,” Kuhn said. “So [I’m] excited to see them play next week … It’ll be fun.”According to Kuhn, a lineup of many first-year players can be expected when the team commences their season at 2 p.m. Nov. 1 when they travel to Annandale-on-Hudson to play the Bard College Raptors.
