Emory University finished the regular season ranked 21st by the
National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). After
losing two all-conference forwards to graduation, the Eagles
outscored all opponents 46-14 en route to its 19th winning season
in 21 years with a 12-4-2 record.
The Eagles fell one goal shy of the University Athletic Association
title and an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III national
tournament. The Eagles lost 2-1 on the road to the 25th ranked team
in the nation and eventual conference champions. In the three games
against teams that advanced to the NCAA tournament this season, the
Eagles went 2-1, outscoring their opponents 11-3.
Emory's defense recorded 10 shutouts, the third highest total for
the Eagles in the last 29 years and the most since 1986. The
squad's 0.75 goals against average was the fourth best in school
history.
The Eagles entered the season ranked 20th in the nation, the first
time Emory has been ranked in a preseason poll since 1999. After
starting the season 4-0, the Eagles moved up to No. 3 in the
national poll, their highest ranking of the season. Emory went on
to win eight of its first nine games for the fourth best start in
school history.
Coach Mike Rubesch picked up his 200th career win Sept. 4 against
Methodist (N.C.). He became the 43rd active men's soccer coach in
Division III to reach the 200-win plateau.
The following Emory players received individual post-season honors:
All-Region (National Soccer Coaches Association of America) | ||
Karl Dix | First Team | Snellville, GA (Brookwood) |
Kevin McCarthy | Third Team | St. Louis, MO (St. Louis University) |
All-Conference (University Athletic Association) | ||
Karl Dix | First Team | Snellville, GA (Brookwood) |
Jon Arost | Second Team | Winter Park, FL (Trinity Prep) |
Tyler Gordon | Second Team | Tampa, FL (Hillsborough) |
Kevin McCarthy | Second Team | St. Louis, MO (St. Louis University) |
Anthony Esposito | Honorable Mention | New Port Richey, FL (Jesuit) |
Alex Grigulanas | Honorable Mention | Snellville, GA (South Gwinnett) |
Rohit Agarwal
Junior goalkeeper Rohit Agarwal played in nine games for the Eagles
this season, starting eight of them. In more than 731 minutes,
Agarwal allowed five goals for a team-best 0.62 goals against
average (GAA). He recorded a team high this season in saves (31),
shutouts (3) and wins (6). Heading into his senior season,
Agarwal's 0.67 career GAA is on pace to break the school record. He
is fifth in school history in career wins with 22 victories, and
sixth in career shutouts with seven.
Jon Arost
Jon Arost finished his senior season tied for the team lead in
points (27) and goals (11), both single-season highs for the
forward. Nine of Arost's points (four goals and one assist) came in
University Athletic Association (UAA) games, the second highest
total of any player in the conference. He was named to the
all-conference second team, the first time he has received the
honor. Arost recorded the third hat trick of his career on Sept.
26, becoming the third player in Emory history with at least three
hat tricks. Arost finishes sixth in school history in career
assists, ninth in career points and 10th in career goals.
Chad Chambers
In his first year starting for the Eagles, Chad Chambers tied for
the team lead with 11 goals. He only needed seven games to match
his previous season best total of five goals. Chambers added four
assists for a total of 26 points, the third most on the team. On
Sept. 24, Chambers became the 13th player in Eagles history to
record a hat trick, capping off a three-game span when he scored 14
points.
Michael Conway
Michael Conway started all 10 games he played in for Emory,
compiling a GAA of 0.79. In his first season, the junior goalkeeper
did not allow a goal in his first five starts as an Eagle. Over the
course of the season, Conway had three shutouts and 22 saves, 15 of
which came in conference games. Conway's shutout performance on
Oct. 31 against conference rival New York University with one game
remaining in the season kept alive Emory's hopes of a conference
title.
Karl Dix
Karl Dix was named to the all-region first team for the second
consecutive season, becoming the first Eagle to do so since 1999.
He made his second straight appearance on the UAA all-conference
first team. With a team-best nine assists this year, Dix moved into
fourth place for career assists in school history after two seasons
on the team. The junior, who scored a career-high nine goals,
finished the season tied for the team lead with 27 points. Dix's
assist and point total's were the second and third highest in the
conference respectively. The midfielder scored in 11 of 18 games
for the Eagles, including scoring two game-winning goals himself,
and assisting on an additional two game winners. Dix became the
12th Eagle to record a hat trick when he scored three consecutive
goals for the team on Sept. 12.
Anthony Esposito
Anthony Esposito earned honorable mention in voting for the
all-conference team. The midfielder finished his Emory career with
21 assists, the 10th highest total in school history.
Tyler Gordon
Tyler Gordon finished with a career-high six assists, matching his
career total entering the season. Three of Gordon's assists came in
conference games, helping him earn a spot on the all-conference
second team for the first time in his career. He started all 18
games for an Eagle defense that helped record the fourth-lowest GAA
in school history.
Alex Grigalunas
Alex Grigalunas started all 18 games for Emory this season and is
the only Eagle to start every game over the past two years. The
sophomore defender had one goal and a career-best seven assists for
the season. Grigalunas led the UAA in assists in conference games
with five en route to earning honorable mention for the
all-conference team. On Oct. 15, Grigalunas assisted on all three
of the team's goals, becoming only the second player in school
history to accomplish the feat.
Kevin McCarthy
Defender Kevin McCarthy helped Emory record 10 shutouts, the most
by an Eagle defense since 1986. The senior was named to the
all-region third team, the first time in his career that he has
been awarded the honor. McCarthy started all 14 games he played in,
increasing his career total to 68 starts, the fifth most in school
history and second most by a defender. He picked up assists in two
consecutive games on Sept. 24 and Sept. 26. McCarthy was named to
the UAA all-conference second team for his defensive contributions
this season.
Written by Jonathan Schwartz, Emory sports information assistant.