by Joe Azar
It had to be him.
With less than two minutes to go in double overtime, CMU earned a penalty against No.7 Regis. With the opportunity to give the program a second RMAC regular season title in three years, Roy Abergil stepped up to the spot with the weight of an entire season on their shoulders. The Israeli star scored 24 times prior to his penalty attempt, including five game-winning goals. But out of all the goals this season, this might be the most paramount. Abergil converted from the penalty spot, scoring his sixth game-winning goal in 2016 to give CMU the RMAC regular season Championship.
“It was just an all-around great game of soccer,” head coach Todd Padgett said. “It was a game certainly packed full of emotions, but a good game to be a part of.”
Padgett’s claim that Friday’s match was full of highs and lows would be an understatement. Even before opening kickoff, CMU’s players felt frustrated with their drop in the NCSAA poll to No.21 despite not losing a game since mid-September.
“Maybe on the player’s side of things,” Padgett said. “We don’t really pay attention to the NSCAA rankings because simply put they’re bogus. I’m sure they were frustrated because players look into the national rankings more than we do as coaches.”
As the first half came to end, the Mavs outshot the Rangers 10-4 as the hosts dropped back and allowed CMU to be the aggressor. Still the game remained scoreless, as the Mavs could not convert on any of their chances in the opening 45 minutes.
“They got 10 or 11 bodies behind the ball, which allowed us to possess things,” Padgett said. “They amped up the pressure a little bit as the game went on.”
About three minutes into the second half, it was Regis who got on the scoreboard first. Cameron McCaslin converted a penalty of his own to put CMU behind for the second consecutive game. Just like last Sunday’s game against UCCS, though, CMU found their way back into the game. Thirteen minutes after falling behind Trentin Atkin slotted home a ball rebounded off a save by the goalkeeper. Less than two minutes later, it was Moshe Perez who gave the Mavs lead off a shot on top of the 18-yard box.
“This team, one of the things they are capable of is playing from behind,” Padgett said. “We’ve been in this situation before, they group together. I think they talked about things. They talked about the need to not panic and not get frustrated and continue to do what we do. And fortunately a goal fell our way and then a second one came.”
It seemed as though the two quick goals was enough to give CMU the RMAC crown. Regis continued to create shots, but the Mavs’ kept their usual composure and held the Rangers off. However, with 24 seconds left to go Tom Grimley’s header tied the game up and forced overtime.
“You could tell they were deflated,” Padgett said. “But that’s this sport, isn’t it? Momentum changes; you get it and you give it. That’s part of the game of soccer. In terms of the guys, I wasn’t frustrated with them at all. It’s part of it [the game].”
The Mavs were dropped in national poll, fell behind despite being the more aggressive team and gave up a last-minute goal after taking the lead. However, when Abergil’s penalty hit the back of the net, the only thing that mattered was that they were conference champions.
“We were ecstatic,” Padgett said. “We worked hard this year. It started back on Aug. 15, and to see that work pay off and ultimately culminate in a conference championship in the end of October was a special feeling.”
Immediately after reminiscing on second conference championship in three years, though, Padgett was quick to note that the ultimate goal for this season was yet to be accomplished.
“We still got a lot of work to do,” Padgett said. “We’ve put that first goal behind us, and now we will work towards the next goal on the list.”
On Sunday CMU had to settle for a scoreless tie against South Dakota School of Mines. That being said, the Mavs will host the RMAC tournament for a second time in three years, with their opening game in the semifinals on Friday. At the beginning of the season, it was written that CMU being good in the conference was the same as the sky being blue, it was a normality, a given. At the end of the regular season, the given continues to stand. The sky is certainly still blue and CMU Men’s Soccer team is once again the premier team in the RMAC.
