CMC75 Moments: 2019 Men's Soccer Wins SCIAC, Regional Titles with Four Straight 2-0 Wins

As part of the buildup to the 75th Anniversary celebration for Claremont McKenna College (visit CMC's 75th Anniversary Countdown Page to learn more), we are reliving many of the great moments from CMS athletic department history over the 75-day countdown from April 17 to July 1. If you were a part of this great moment and would like to add to the memories, or if you would like to submit your memories of your own favorite CMS Athletics moments, fill out the form on our main 75th Anniversary page.

Great Moments from 75 Years of Athletics
2019 Men's Soccer: Stags Win Two Postseason Titles

The 2018 CMS Men's Soccer season was an unmitigated success, albeit with an unfortunate ending. The Stags went 15-2-1 overall, coming off just four wins the year before, and led the nation in team defense with only four goals allowed in 18 games. The SCIAC Tournament, though, resulted in a 0-0 tie with Chapman and a 5-4 defeat on penalty kicks, and the NCAA bid they hoped would come as a consolation prize never came. 

In 2019, the Stags upgraded their non-conference schedule and defeated Emory, Trinity and Saint Thomas, improving their resume. They were sitting in the same position as the previous year, as the top seed in the SCIAC Tournament and with the credentials for an at large bid, but they didn't want to take the chance, defeating Occidental 2-0 and Redlands 2-0 to earn the SCIAC title and the automatic bid. The Occidental game had some eerie familiarity to it, tied 0-0 at the half, but William Birchard broke the ice when his free kick hit off the wall and deflected in, and Ethan Tyng added an insurance goal. In the finals, Cole Smith scored early against Redlands and Tyng added another goal, giving the Stags the 2-0. 

Not content to stop there, the Stags earned two penalty kicks in the opening round against Texas Lutheran, both converted by Birchard for a 2-0 win, and then broke a 0-0 tie late against Trinity in the regional finals, with Tyng heading in a cross from Daniel Rohde. Samay Rahim added an insurance goal on a free kick for the fourth straight 2-0 victory, and the first regional title for the Stags since 1984. The run ended against Centre College in the Sweet 16, but not without a fight, as CMS scored twice in the final three minutes around a Centre goal to make the score 3-2, and then nearly scored the tying goal in the final minute before the Colonels sealed it with a last-second breakaway. 

Birchard was named a United Soccer Coaches Second-Team All-American, while senior center back Adam Singer was the SCIAC Player of the Year. William Barton joined Birchard, Singer and Rahim on the first-team All-SCIAC squad, while Smith, Tyng and Eduardo De Anda were on the second team.    

William Birchard: 

It was tough losing in the semis of 2018. It hit a lot of us hard, we made huge leaps from the previous year to then to see us go out in PKs was gut-wrenching. The team's mindset was the same but with a twist going into the 2019 tournament. We once again had a great season, more dominant I think this time around then last. We didn't think anything could stop us this time, no one was getting in our way of winning the SCIAC tournament and we played with a hunger and passion that I have never seen before. It was amazing to be a part of.

I think the Redlands game really showed our maturity and professionalism on the pitch. For us to stay locked in for a full 90 is not easy, and I believe we managed to do it every game of the season and it showed with the results. Redlands is one of those teams that if they get a hint, they will start to tack on the pressure and build momentum and that's the last thing we want from them. 

Trinity was such an amazing feeling, to be on the road and beat the hosting team was incredible. It was one of the best feelings I have had, especially after the match with all the parents and guys around, it was one big family and I was blessed to share it with all of them. In the moment, all I knew was that we kept on dancing and were granted one more trip with a special group of guys!

I cherished every single moment of that season and each one was just as special but if I had to pinpoint one moment, it would be after Sam Rahim scored the free-kick against Trinity to lock a 2-0 win. Sam is an incredible man, player, and teammate. To see him get his first goal in such a huge stage and to see the excitement on his face made me so happy inside. He is a continuous engine for our team and he deserves everything that comes his way, I was lucky enough to be there when he got his first goal for the team.

Kevin Proudfoot:

We all realized how close we were to reaching our goals in 2018 and we also saw how far we had come from the previous year, so we carried that into the 2019 season. That entire season was played with an intensity and confidence that I had never seen before. Losing in the tournament again was simply not an option after all the hard work we had done to get to where we were. It really felt like everyone was doing whatever they could to help the team succeed.

Two-goal leads are definitely nerve-wracking, especially in big games, but we were very prepared for those moments. Being a center back, I try to pretend it's still a 0-0 game. I know we will win if I do my job correctly. The forwards did their job by getting us the lead, but the tough part about defending is you can't stop until the game is over. Fortunately, the guys in front of me worked so hard and made it much easier for us defenders.

I think there are a lot of contributing factors that helped us keep leads and get shutouts, but one of the most important factors in my opinion is that we all knew the game plan. Everyone bought into our defensive tactics, so it made it really hard for other teams to break us down. It was also a big help that we could sub in 5 or more guys at a time and the level never dropped. We had such a deep team and our togetherness made it easy to want to fight for the guy standing next to you.

I think Trinity was one of the most euphoric moments of my soccer career. Seeing the progression from my freshman year to that moment just made me so happy and gave me a real sense of accomplishment. It was a long journey to get to that point, but I think we really earned that moment. I know the guys in the classes below me will continue to grow what our class and the year above us helped build.

This team really felt like family, so it was just awesome to be able to spend more time with them than I normally would have. Some of the best moments came from the bus and locker room after wins like the one against Trinity. I also cherish the moments that I had with my parents after those games. They have supported me so much throughout my entire career, and it was really special to be able to have that moment with them after the game.

Tyler Chen:

I think it really captivated the entire college soccer experience for me. Over the course of the four years, we struggled at times (sophomore year and at the end of junior year) and this was the season we finally put all the pieces together and really performed to the level that we knew we were capable of. It was a great feeling to finally win SCIAC and advance far into the NCAA Tournament.

I think my favorite part about the postseason was the camaraderie we displayed as a team on road trips and during our team bonding sessions. I loved traveling with the guys and doing fun activities outside of soccer and I definitely believe that it contributed to our chemistry on the field. The trips to San Antonio and Ohio were particularly memorable.

I'm extremely proud of our team. To be the first team in the last 25 years to advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament is a huge accomplishment. I am excited to see how the Stags perform over the next couple of years.  

2019 CMS Men's Soccer Roster
Head Coach: Matt Edwards
Assistant Coaches: Julian Ortega, Eric Young, Ethan Kable
Isaiah Alba (Sr., M, CMC)
Jake Allmon (Fy., F, CMC)
William Barton (So., F, CMC)
William Birchard (Jr., D, CMC)
Justin Blachman (Fy., M, CMC)
Nate Brody (Jr., D, CMC)
Tyler Chen (Sr., D, CMC)
Eduardo De Anda (So., GK, HMC)
Grant Donaldson (So., D, CMC)
Justin Gadalla (Sr., F, HMC)
Nate Huntington (Jr., M, CMC)
Alex Karasinski (So., D, CMC)
Evan Kim (Fy., M, CMC)
Henry Kraham (Jr., M, CMC)
Troy Lehenbauer (Fy., D, CMC)
Leonardo Lindo (Jr., F, HMC)
Jacob Mays (So., GK, CMC)
Ben Pelz (Fy., D, CMC)
Kevin Proudfoot (Jr., D, HMC)
Samay Rahim (So., M, CMC)
Daniel Rohde (Jr., F, HMC)
Luke Scanlan (Sr., D, CMC)
Adam Singer (Sr., D, CMC)
Cole Smith (Sr., F, CMC)
Ethan Tyng (So., F, CMC)
Harrison Weier (Fy., D, CMC)