Lehman’s dream season comes to an end

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Lehman men’s soccer coach Toma Gojcevic had a pretty good idea what was awaiting his team as the Lightning climbed aboard the team bus and headed for Glassboro, New Jersey, last Saturday.

The Lightning, the winners of the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) championship this season, had earned their way into the NCAA Tournament where they would face a Rowan University that had more than a passing acquaintance with success in the prestigious tournament. The Profs have a rather rich history in soccer as they twice were named Division III National Champions, in 1981 and 1990, while also coming in second twice and placing third three other times.

So just as a comparison, last Saturday’s game marked Rowan’s 26th appearance in the NCAAs while it was just the second all-time appearance for Lehman. So Gojcevic knew how difficult a task the seasoned Profs would be for his Lightning.

“I knew what we were up against but I kept it from the team as much as I possibly could,” Gojcevic said. “I didn’t let on that Rowan was 16-2-1. I tried to minimize any kind of anxiety the team was having heading into that tournament. I didn’t talk much about them at all. I talked mostly about what we needed to do and what we needed to work on.”

One thing the Lightning simply couldn’t do was let powerhouse Rowan get off to a fast start in the game, but that’s exactly what occurred when the Profs scored a goal in the second minute of the game and added another later in the first half as they went on to post a 4-0 victory over Lehman, eliminating the Lightning from the tournament.

Lehman finished its magical season with a record of 10-4-3.

“We got out there on Friday and went to our hotel and then when we went to the practice field, it was all a great experience for them,” said Gojcevic, who was named the CUNYAC Coach of the Year this past week. “But when we got back to the hotel you could see it in some of the guy’s faces, they were like, ‘Wow.’ You see all their banners and you see their great field at their university and we’re coming from Lehman, a small little college. So I think it was a little bit much for them. They were a little overwhelmed.”

Rowan’s Brian Dziobak got the scoring started for the Profs when he knocked home the game’s first goal in the second minute of action. It was a goal that should not have occurred, according to Gojcevic, who said his goalkeeper Irvin Barreto misplayed the shot.

“The one kid that I really didn’t expect to be tight was Irvin Barreto, in all honesty,” Gojcevic said. “That was a bad goal on our part. He didn’t come out the way he should have. It was just a terrible goal. I mean the guy even mishit the ball. It was something you didn’t want to see happen.”

The hole got a little deeper for the Lightning when Rowan’s Vinny Ignatowicz beat Barreto, the CUNYAC Tournament Most Valuable Player, for a goal in the ninth minute for a 2-0 Rowan lead and it remained that way until halftime. Lehman was outshot by the Profs, 13-0, in the first half.

“We got down 2-0 in first nine minutes but then we settled down and started playing and being a little bit more aggressive to the ball,” Gojcevic said. “So I was thinking, ‘Ok, it’s 2-0 at the half so let’s see if we can get a goal and not sit back as much as get back in this.’”

But it was Rowan again finding the net when the Profs’ Pete Hall scored 10 minutes into the second half for a 3-0 lead and Gojcevic could start to see the writing on the wall.

“From there it was pretty much over,” Gojcevic said.

Rowan would add a final goal by Shane Doherty on a penalty kick in the 68th minute to close out the scoring and Lehman’s season, which was a stellar campaign despite the tournament loss.

“All in all if you look at the big picture I think it was a great year for the team and it was a great year for me as a coach,” Gojcevic said. “It’s always nice to win the conference championship but then being named the conference coach of the year was a great honor as well.”

But the loss left Gojcevic and the Lightning wanting more. They accomplished much this season, posting 10 victories, winning the CUNYAC title and earning the school’s second NCAA Tournament appearance. But no CUNY school has yet to taste victory in the NCAAs and that is what will drive Gojcevic heading into next season.  

“We hit certain goals this year but now I’m already recruiting for next year. I want to win that first NCAA Tournament game,” Gojcevic said. “No CUNY team has ever done that. That’s my goal for next year - get that first NCAA win.”

To that end, Gojcevic has wasted little time building his team for next season as he has already hit the recruiting trail.

“My job is to get 10 players who can compete for starting jobs and that’s what I’m going to go do,” Gojcevic said “But this has been really, really great. It’s been great for me, it’s been great for the players and it’s been great for Lehman College. This season put us out there so I’m already looking forward to next year to be honest with you. It’s exciting to go back to work now.”

Lehman, soccer, Toma Gojcevic, City University of New York Athletic Conference, CUNYAC, Sean Brennan

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