On September 11, 2015, Stockton Men’s Soccer suffered their first loss to Rensselaer. Stockton, whose record after the game was 3-1, scored only one point during a penalty kick by Clevon McPherson. The Ospreys, who led by one at the half, fell to the Engineers, with a final score of 2-1. This game was part of the Seashore Classic, which continued through the weekend with William Patterson and Mary Washington in competition as well.
Despite the loss, the student section at the game remained lively until the final buzzer. Friends and fellow teammates cheered from the stands for everything from substitutions to penalties. After Stockton’s only goal, all of the on-field players ran to the side of the field where the bleachers were and celebrated with us. The stands went wild.
I never would have imagined the level of school spirit and pride to be this prevalent at Stockton, and yet each and every student in attendance proved me wrong. Despite Stockton being a D3 school, and not having a football team, we proved that we can still be loud and rowdy and support out athletes, which I respect one hundred percent.
As my first Stockton sporting event, I can say that I will definitely be at many more, if not to actually learn how soccer works, then to support my school through wins and losses. The games are free for students (with ID), so next time Stockton Athletics tweets about a game or a bunch of Yik Yaks are posted about the soccer game, grab some friends and head out there! I promise the team will not disappoint.
After their first loss of the season, Stockton came back with a win over Mary Washington on September 12. Stockton beat Mary Washington 3-0, despite their previously unbeaten record. The Eagles, whose standing is now 5-1, could not get past Stockton’s remarkable defense. Anthony Colofranson scored two of Stockton’s points, one in each half, and the final point came from Jeff Tanski. Because of the rainy weather, not as many students came out to see a Stockton win as the Stockton vs Rensselaer game, but the school pride was there nonetheless. I wish the best of luck to the soccer team for the remainder of their season, and hope that they bring back some more Osprey “W’s”.