Men's club soccer team impresses in Pensacola
Trip marks team's first appearance in National Division I competition; team ends season 10-5

By Marit Karbowski

Mirror Sports Co-Editor
November 30, 2007

If a trip to Pensacola, Fla., for the National Intramural Soccer Championships, winning the sportsmanship award and spending time at the beach was not enough, the Augustana men’s club soccer team also held its own against top Division I schools.

The men did not win a game at the tournament, but every team they played won in the championship games. The Augustana men were tied with University of California-Santa Barbara, the winners of the tournament, until the last 15 minutes of the game.

The men played UC Santa Barbara and lost 3-0 despite being tied with them first with 15 minutes left. UC Santa Barbara ended up winning the tournament.

Then the men played Texas Tech and lost 3-0. Texas Tech lost to UC Santa Barbara in the championship. Augustana lost the third and final game was 4-1 versus Texas A&M, who won the consolation bracket.

“Every team we played ended up winning a trophy,” junior Andrew Brynjulson said. “We definitely turned heads by sticking with these big schools.”

The team experienced a few challenges along the way.

“Our biggest challenge was having to play three games in two days,” said junior Adam Norenberg. “With only 15 guys and 11 playing at a time, it’s a lot on your body.”

“We had 15 players compared to most teams’ 25. We were not as fresh in the later games as a result. In soccer, you always have to have fresh legs to compete, and we were pretty dead in the long run. We also played a much more physical style of soccer than the others.”

As a result, a few members of the team spent some time in the outdoor pool which served as an ice bath for their aching bodies.

“We definitely turned heads by sticking with these big schools,” Brynjulson said.

“We competed well,” Norenberg said. "The teams we were competing against were the guys who didn’t make the team at their Division I schools."

The team finished the season 10-5 after Nationals. Before Nationals, the men were 10-2.

“In the past couple of years, winning half of our games would have been an achievement,” Brynjulson said. “This year we raised the bar and were successful in nearly every aspect.”

“We demonstrated the best sportsmanship. We had a lot of fun while playing and the other teams had fun playing us, too.”

The team foresees challenges next year after they lose seven senior players.

Since all of the team’s defensive players will return, they will concentrate on recruting offensive and midfield players and will work hard to return to the tournament again next year.