Michigan Team Stands between Hawks, Trip to National Championship Tournament
“Saturday’s game means more than all the games before it,” said CSM Men’s Soccer Coach Derek Dyson. “It is the chance for this team to further engrave their mark on the history of CSM. This will be the biggest game of their careers so far, and as a first-year head coach, for me as well.”
CSM’s men’s soccer team won the Region XX Men’s Soccer Championship on Sunday, Oct. 30, defeating Harford Community College 3-2.
“Having just won a regional title, I have to say that it has been rewarding to work with these young men. I have seen many of them mature as players and, more importantly, as people,” said Dyson. The success did not come without adversity, said Dyson of the challenges the team faced when players were injured. “Thanks to the efforts of trainers Nick Williams and Sarah Tipsword, we have been able to treat the injuries and continue to be successful.” Tipsword is CSM’s assistant director of athletics and Williams is athletics coordinator.
Players to watch on Saturday are team captain Dillon Gaffney, from Dublin, Ireland, and Samson Defeugaing, of Waldorf, who have anchored the defense and are integral parts of the offense as well on set pieces. Goalkeeper Dameon Hayden, of Waldorf, has been responsible for making huge saves, none bigger than the two penalty kicks he saved in the shootout in the regional semifinals against Essex, said Dyson. Kyle Toepfer, of Prince Frederick, is the team’s utility player working as the pivot between the defense and the offense.
For the first time, due to this year’s soccer field renovation, the Hawks will have a home field advantage. Dedicated during an on-field ceremony Sept.16, the La Plata Campus soccer field is a professional-quality, state-of-the-art playing surface that is now considered among the top soccer fields in the conference.
“[CSM President] Dr. Brad Gottfried and Michelle Ruble (CSM director of Student Life and Athletics) have done well to provide a new pitch for us to play on and we owe them some return on investment,” Dyson said.
The NJCAA National Tournament will be hosted by Paradise Valley Community College in Arizona from November 17–20, 2011.
For information, visit www.csmd.edu/Athletics.