The 2017 season may have started slowly for the men’s soccer team but it ended in triumph. After losing the first three games, the team went on to earn a winning record, its first Northwest Conference title and its first trip to the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Tournament. The Bearcats ended the season with a 10-7-2 record, scoring 22 goals and earning a 0.97 goals against average. A 2-1 victory over archrival Linfield helped the team clinch a conference co-championship, shared with Pacific Lutheran University. After the game, Head Coach Lloyd Fobi said, “We have believed in each other all season, fought together, cried together and always played together. I am proud of these young men for representing Willamette in an exemplary fashion. We made school history today.” The conference title also secured an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Competing against Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas) in the first round, the Bearcats played with extra effort and intensity. Eventually, a rebound off the crossbar led to the game’s only goal and a 1-0 win for the Texas team. The Bearcats also celebrated individual successes at the end of the historic season. Coach Fobi was chosen NWC Coach of the Year, Alan Hernandez ’18 and Max Berner-Hays ’21 were chosen First Team All-Northwest Conference, and Berner-Hays was also selected as NWC Freshman of the Year.
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SPRING 2018