Men's Soccer Fall Season in Review
WALESKA, Ga. – Upon reflection, the 2020 men's soccer fall season will undoubtedly be remembered for the unprecedented challenges it presented as the Eagles competed in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC).
The season will, however, also serve as an example of how positive attitudes, a commitment to standards and work ethic and a team's unity galvanized by adversity can serve to help a group overcome those challenges.
"In nearly 25 years of coaching at the collegiate and professional levels, I have never personally witnessed a team face the level of adversity and challenge that this 2020 season presented for our players," head coach Joey Johnson said. "The unpredictable nature of the environment we exist in today as a society has led to a greater appreciation for each opportunity to experience the gift of relationship and competition through the medium of high-level athletics. In life, the difficult roads are often the most rewarding and I believe the strong character – combined with new perspective – developed through this fall season will surely benefit these young men as they move forward as student-athletes.
"I would like to publicly thank all the coaches, athletic staff, athletic training personnel, faculty and everyone here at RU who have worked together to provide the opportunity for our student-athletes to pursue excellence on the field, in the classroom and in our community this year. Lastly, I would like to express my gratitude to our athletic trainer Kellen Shervington. His work ethic and professionalism served as a great example to our young men as he put in tremendous hours with new protocols to ensure the safety of our student-athletes."
As the regular season drew to close, Reinhardt finished with a 9-1 AAC record while capturing at least a share of the AAC regular-season championship in the process.
Currently sitting in the top spot in the AAC, Reinhardt will be either deemed sole AAC champion or co-champion – pending two remaining AAC fixtures delayed until 2021. The Eagles set a program record for AAC wins in a season and are on track to be very competitive in the spring as both the AAC and NAIA, respectively, have moved the conference and national championships to the spring.
The AAC outlined a conference-only schedule for the fall season, and through these 10 matches, the Eagles outscored their AAC opponents, 32-4. Offensively, Reinhardt ranks nationally in several statistical categories including goals (23rd), assists (12th) and shots on-goal (13th), as it averaged 3.20 goals per game.
As effective as the Eagles were on the attacking side of the ball, this was surpassed by their defensive exploits as Reinhardt only conceded four goals on the season. Defensively, the Eagles earned six shutouts in 10 matches; which ranked them fourth nationally within the NAIA and first among AAC programs.
The .40 goals-against (GAA) average is ranked among national leaders defensively within the NAIA.
Coming off a 2019 campaign which saw him earn NAIA All-American honors, senior captain Aaron Whitten scored a team-leading nine goals in 10 matches. The reigning AAC Offensive Player of the Year tallied nine goals and two assists in 2020, which placed him among the top two in the AAC in all major offensive statistical categories.
Whitten, along with freshman Rafael Pais, share a national ranking of 13th in the NAIA with game-winning goals.
Led by senior captain Leonardo Fagioli, the Eagles placed four players among the top 10 in the AAC for assists (Pais, Gian-Luca Fahling and Philip Frowis, respectively).
At the goalkeeper position, Niko Tzevelekos earned a .48 GAA that currently ranks him ninth in the nation within the NAIA. The Eagles' disciplined approach to team defending was evident throughout the season.
Additionally, worth noting is the defensive unit of captain, Fagioli, Arthur Hugon, Gabriel Stefansson, Fahling and Pavel Dashin – who provided the consistent quality for the Eagles at the back this season.
"I am grateful to senior captain Leonardo Fagioli for his dedication and professionalism the past three-and-a-half years in our program," Johnson said. "Not only has he excelled as a decorated player on the field but has also led our team with distinction and class throughout. It is trustworthy relationships like I have built with Leo that are the most rewarding aspect of the opportunity I have to coach at this level and will certainly last a lifetime."
AAC men's soccer was unable to conclude its regular season and host the championship tournament in the fall. The sport will follow these return-to-play guidelines:
- Men's soccer is allowed to resume practicing on Feb. 15.
- Teams may begin playing regular-season contests on March 4.
- Men's soccer is permitted to play four (4) matches against conference and/or non-conference opponents between March 4 and April 17. Teams must complete their conference schedule prior to the conference tournament.
The men's and women's soccer conference tournaments will be limited to four teams participating. Each round will be hosted at the higher seed's home site with the semifinal matches being played between March 29-31 and the championship matches to be played between April 5-7.
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