Soccer team makes Southern State proud at nationals

Wyatt Chaney (center), a graduate of Eastern Brown High School and a sophomore at Southern State, keeps control of the ball during the 2010 Soccer National Championship in Burlington, Vt., with support from his teammates (l-r) Jeremy Anderson (Fairfield Union H.S.), Nathan Rollyson (Wilmington H.S.), Jordan England (Ripley H.S.), Wes Yeomans (Lynchburg-Clay H.S.) and Chase Burns (North Adams H.S.)

 

Soccer team makes Southern State proud at nationals

 

For the first time in school history, the Southern State Community College men’s soccer team made a trip to the USCAA Soccer National Championship, which was held Nov. 5-7 in Burlington, Vt.

Unfortunately for the Patriots, the weekend did not go as planned. They were knocked out of national title contention with a first-round loss to Briarcliffe College of Bethpage, N.Y. Briarcliffe holds the 2008 national championship title, was a 2009 runner-up, and would go on to become the 2010 runner-up. 

                The Patriots finished the regular season with a 15-1-2 record, the third best in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA). The USCAA has approximately 45 member institutions that field men’s soccer teams. Southern State’s record was the third best in the nation; however, the USCAA relies on a coaches poll to determine seeding for the national tournament.

Southern State received no love from the coaches poll and received the sixth seed for the tournament. 

“We were very confident that we could come to the national tournament and get a win,” said Josh Thoroman, head coach. “However, the tournament seeding was very unfortunate and we had to play the second best team in the nation in the first round. Had we been seeded higher, as we believe we deserved, we could have advanced to the second round.”

Southern State finished the season with an overall record of 15-3-2 and will probably finish the 2010 season ranked sixth or seventh in the nation when the final poll is released.

The Patriots won the Ohio Collegiate Athletic Conference (OCAC) for the second year in a row and had a winning season for the third year in a row.

This was just the third winning season in the 19-year history of soccer at Southern State. 

“I hope that people understand that this Southern State team earned its way into the national tournament by achieving the third best record in the nation,” said Thoroman. “We played great teams all year and we were able to finish 15-1-2. We are extremely disappointed in losing at the national tournament. With the send-off we received, the coverage in the newspapers, and the numerous calls and messages of support, we went to Vermont on a mission to win and make Southern Ohio proud. We lost to the second best team in the USCAA. This team was not ready for the season to end.”

The Patriots say farewell to sophomores Jordan England (graduate of Ripley High School), Wyatt Chaney (Eastern Brown H.S.), Chase Burns (North Adams H.S.), Caleb Conn (Miami Trace H.S.), Tyler Jimison (North Adams H.S.), Nathan Rollyson (Wilmington H.S.) and Jeff Strausbaugh (Unioto H.S.). The sophomore class is the winningest class in Southern State history, accumulating a record of 25-10-3.

For the first time in school history, the Southern State Community College men’s soccer team made a trip to the USCAA Soccer National Championship, which was held Nov. 5-7 in Burlington, Vt.

Unfortunately for the Patriots, the weekend did not go as planned. They were knocked out of national title contention with a first-round loss to Briarcliffe College of Bethpage, N.Y. Briarcliffe holds the 2008 national championship title, was a 2009 runner-up, and would go on to become the 2010 runner-up. 

                The Patriots finished the regular season with a 15-1-2 record, the third best in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA). The USCAA has approximately 45 member institutions that field men’s soccer teams. Southern State’s record was the third best in the nation; however, the USCAA relies on a coaches poll to determine seeding for the national tournament.

Southern State received no love from the coaches poll and received the sixth seed for the tournament. 

“We were very confident that we could come to the national tournament and get a win,” said Josh Thoroman, head coach. “However, the tournament seeding was very unfortunate and we had to play the second best team in the nation in the first round. Had we been seeded higher, as we believe we deserved, we could have advanced to the second round.”

Southern State finished the season with an overall record of 15-3-2 and will probably finish the 2010 season ranked sixth or seventh in the nation when the final poll is released.

The Patriots won the Ohio Collegiate Athletic Conference (OCAC) for the second year in a row and had a winning season for the third year in a row.

This was just the third winning season in the 19-year history of soccer at Southern State. 

“I hope that people understand that this Southern State team earned its way into the national tournament by achieving the third best record in the nation,” said Thoroman. “We played great teams all year and we were able to finish 15-1-2. We are extremely disappointed in losing at the national tournament. With the send-off we received, the coverage in the newspapers, and the numerous calls and messages of support, we went to Vermont on a mission to win and make Southern Ohio proud. We lost to the second best team in the USCAA. This team was not ready for the season to end.”

The Patriots say farewell to sophomores Jordan England (graduate of Ripley High School), Wyatt Chaney (Eastern Brown H.S.), Chase Burns (North Adams H.S.), Caleb Conn (Miami Trace H.S.), Tyler Jimison (North Adams H.S.), Nathan Rollyson (Wilmington H.S.) and Jeff Strausbaugh (Unioto H.S.). The sophomore class is the winningest class in Southern State history, accumulating a record of 25-10-3.