The University of Mary Washington men’s soccer program continued to achieve success in 2007, reaching 10 wins for the 20th time in the past 23 years. Along the way, the Eagles notched nine shutouts against a schedule that featured many of the top teams in the South Region.
The Eagles opened the season with a bang, winning five straight matches. After topping St. Joseph’s University, 5-0, in the season opener, the Eagles blanked Division II Barton College, 2-0, to claim the UMW Soccer Classic title. Coach Roy Gordon’s squad then shut out Roanoke College, 2-0, before earning a 1-0 decision at Gettysburg College.
UMW upped its season-opening win streak to five with a 1-0 win over Randolph-Macon College. After a 2-1 overtime loss at second-ranked Greensboro College on a penalty kick, the Eagles responded with a 2-0 win over CAC rival St. Mary’s College at the Battleground. After another loss to nationally ranked North Carolina Wesleyan College, UMW won two straight, with victories over Hood College and Wesley College, the latter an impressive 6-1 win at the Battleground.
A 2-0 loss at Villa Julie College and a 1-0 double overtime loss to Salisbury preceded shutout wins over Gallaudet University and Marymount University. The 8-0 win over the Bison marked Coach Gordon’s milestone 400th career win. The Eagles closed the regular season with a hard-fought 2-1 loss to top-10 ranked York College at Homecoming before over 1,000 fans. UMW saw its season come to an end with a 1-0 loss in the final seconds to Villa Julie in the CAC Quarterfinals.
Sophomore midfielder Ryan Taibl led the team in scoring with 10 goals and three assists, and had game winners against Randolph-Macon and Gettysburg in 1-0 Eagle triumphs. Junior midfielder Tommy DiNuzzo tallied three goals and three assists with two game-winning goals, and junior Darrien Ruggles scored four goals despite missing five games with injury.
Sophomore Michael Johnson posted two goals and three assists, and sophomore midfielder Matt Lawrey added two goals and two assists for the Eagle offense. Defensively, the Eagles saw senior Greg Savage and sophomore Emmett Rutkowski split time in goal, combining for nine shutouts and 45 saves. Defenders David Rodriguez, Peter Toohey, and Stefan Melone provided a team strength as opponents took just 119 shots on the season, less than half taken by the Eagles.
Taibl repeated as an All-Capital Athletic Conference and all-region selection, and was joined on the all-conference team by David Rodriguez. Those two, along with several other talented returnees, will look to get the Eagles back to the Capital Athletic Conference championship game for the second time in three years. The infusion of young talent into the 2007 squad bodes well for 2008, as seven starters who were underclassmen return for next fall.
The void left with the graduation of four seniors provides a challenge, as returnees and newcomers will compete for the vacant roles. As is always the case at UMW, with no athletic scholarships, the best players play, regardless of age or experience. UMW will face a challenging schedule next fall, with Salisbury University, York College, and St. Mary’s College highlighting the conference schedule, and perennial regional powers Gettysburg College, Christopher Newport University, North Carolina Wesleyan College, and Greensboro College among UMW’s nonconference opponents.