After last week’s shocking loss to Cal Poly Pomona in the national tournament, the men’s soccer team’s second straight year losing to this team in the first round, seeing the positives in a shorter-than-expected season requires a step back. The Clan were ranked as high as number three in the nation as the season was getting under way, but had their title hopes vanished in a span of 90 minutes. Even with this first-round exit, however, the men’s soccer team’s season is a reminder that this is not only one of the finest programs at Simon Fraser, but in the entire Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC).
The Clan won their second straight GNAC title (going 7–2–3 in conference play), and they’re sixth all-time. While it was not quite as dominating as their eight-point title win in 2016, SFU got things done when they needed to. The GNAC title was on the line as the team went into their last week of conference play with two crucial games against Western Washington and Seattle Pacific, the only thing between them and the championship. The infamous snow day on November 2 forced the game between Western Washington and Simon Fraser to be cancelled, leaving the match against Seattle Pacific (then ranked first in the GNAC) two days later as the battle for the title. The Clan did not disappoint, as two goals by Mamadi Camara gave the team a 2–0 win and secured the championship on Terry Fox Field.
This win was not surprising, as the Clan finished 7–0–1 on the season at home, with their only draw coming the following day in a mean-nothing makeup game against Western Washington. Playing on the road was a different story, however, as the team finished 2–2–3, while also going 2–1–0 on neutral ground. Unfortunately, losses did travel across the border, and this season’s struggles in the USA were disappointing for a team that is ranked amongst the elite in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II. As the only NCAA team in Canada, the Clan are not able to host national tournament games in Burnaby, negating their home field advantage once the team enters post-season play.
While SFU dominated possession and scoring chances in nearly every game they played this season, there were times where they struggled with finishing. As head coach Clint Schneider said, “I wish we would have found a better scoring touch down the stretch . . . I think we did everything to win our game in the national tournament, but that’s football; you have to score to win games.”
The team’s most consistent scorer was freshman Matteo Polisi, who led the team with 10 goals, good for third in the GNAC. For his efforts he was awarded the GNAC Freshman of the Year award. Perhaps his greatest competition for the award was his brother and teammate Marcello Polisi, who was awarded the GNAC Player of the Year award. The GNAC opted to give an award to both players due to their exceptional play, and also so that things wouldn’t get awkward at Christmas dinner. With two freshmen as two of the best players in the entire conference, the Clan have two cornerstones for the next three seasons. Clint Schneider was awarded consecutive Coach of the Year awards, while senior Magnus Kristensen was awarded the Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season.
Kristensen is among four seniors who have now played their final game for Simon Fraser, with defensive partner Pascal Schmidt, starting goalie Miguel Hof, and midfield star Adam Jones (who battled injuries down the stretch) being the others. All four were crucial players for the Clan, and were all regulars in the starting lineup when fit. When asked what losing these seniors meant, coach Schneider responded, “[It’s] always tough to lose players of the calibere of my seniors, but the program is bigger than me and any individual player, and we will make sure we are competing for conference, regional, and national championships next year.”
One unfortunate loss should not taint SFU’s dominant season. As stated by coach Schneider, “[The Clan] had a very good team and [they] proved that [they] can play and beat anyone.” With nine players making a GNAC all-conference team and highly touted prospects such as William Raphael joining the squad, the team has the depth to continue dominating the conference for years to come. A team this good, however, will always be judged by how they compete on the national stage.
