With a strong finish to the campaign, the Emory University
men’s soccer team claimed its seventh University Athletic
Association (UAA) Championship and advanced to the second round of
the NCAA Division III Championships in 2012.
The Eagles finished the season with a 9-3-1 record over its last
13 games, including a regular-season ending 1-0 victory at Carnegie
Mellon University (then ranked sixth in Division III) that
forced a four-way tie for the conference championships between
Emory, Carnegie Mellon, Washington University (Mo.) and Brandeis
University. Although tiebreakers meant that the UAA’s
automatic bid to the NCAA Championships would be awarded to
Brandeis, the Eagles would receive an at-large bid to the
tournament.
Traveling to Roanoke College for a first-round match against the
Maroons, the Eagles would not disappoint, winning in dominant
fashion by a 4-1 score. In the game, senior Andrew
Natalino scored a pair of goals (including the game
winner) and assisted on another, becoming the first player in the
program’s history to score multiple goals in an NCAA
Tournament game. Sophomore Dylan Price and
freshman Connor Curtin would add scores as well,
as the Eagles would record just the second NCAA Tournament victory
in the program’s history, and the first since 1988, a span of
13 postseason games.
Emory’s tournament run would come to an end in its next
game, as the Eagles fell 3-0 to Messiah College, ranked first in
Division III and the eventual 2012 NCAA Champions. Despite
the score, Emory outshot the Falcons 10-9, becoming the first squad
to outshoot Messiah since Ohio Wesleyan did so on September 9, 2011
(18-10), and the first team to hold the Falcons to under 10 shots
since Calvin on December 5, 2009 (nine shots).
Emory’s season came to a close with a record of
11-7-2. It was the 11th-consecutive season that
the Eagles have recorded a double-digit win total, the extending
the longest streak in the program’s history.
Other highlights from the campaign include three overtime
victories, including two against conference opponents. At
home on September 29th, Emory utilized a ‘golden
goal’ from sophomore Carl Credle with just
27 seconds left to play against the then 23rd-ranked
University of Chicago, giving the Eagles a 4-3 win in their UAA
opener. Just under a month later, the Eagles would capitalize
on a double-overtime goal from sophomore Michael
Rheaume that lifted the squad to a 1-0 victory at New York
University, keeping Emory alive for the UAA Title.
The Eagles’ strength during the season was its high-powered
offense, which finished the year ranked 57th among NCAA
Division III teams with 45 goals scored, and 67th with
2.25 goals per game. Natalino, who made the move from outside
back to forward in 2012, led the offense, earning all-region third
team recognition after leading all Eagles with 14 goals and 31
points. He finished the year ranked 35th among
Division III players in goals, 49th in goals per game
(0.7), 62nd in total points, and 69th in
points per game (1.55). Price contributed with 12 goals of
his own (ranked 74th in Division III), and his six
game-winning goals led all Eagles during the year and were the
third-most in a single season in the program’s history.
Also adding to Emory’s offense during the year were junior
Andrew Jones (four goals and five assist) and
senior David Garofalo, who led all Eagles with six
assists.
Defensively, the Eagles finished the year with six shutouts and a
1.34 team goals-against average. Led by senior Alex
Scott, an all-UAA Second Team selection, and Garofalo, and
all-UAA honorable mention, the Eagles’ defense held opposing
squads to an average of 9.65 shots and 4.55 shots on goal per game
during the campaign. Goalkeeper Abe Hannigan
became the first Emory freshman to start a game in goal since the
1995 season, finishing the season with a 9-4-1 record, a 1.29
goals-against average and three shutouts.
The following Eagles earned honors during the 2012 season:
|
NSCAA All-South Atlantic Region |
||
|
Andrew Natalino |
Third Team |
Marietta, GA (Walton) |
|
|
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|
All-University Athletic Association |
||
|
Andrew Natalino |
First Team |
Marietta, GA (Walton) |
|
Alex Scott |
Second Team |
Clarendon Hills, IL (Hinsdale Central) |
|
David Garofalo |
Honorable Mention |
Macon, GA (Mount de Sales) |
|
Andrew Jones |
Honorable Mention |
Arlington, VA (The Potomac School) |
|
Dylan Price |
Honorable Mention |
Great Falls, VA (Langley) |
|
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|
CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-District |
||
|
Dylan Price |
Great Falls, VA (Langley) |
|
|
|
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|
Sonny Carter Invitational All-Tournament Team |
||
|
David Garofalo |
Macon, GA (Mount de Sales) |
|
|
Matt Sherr |
Roslyn, NY (Roslyn) |
|
|
|
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|
University Athletic Association Athletes of the Week |
||
|
Dylan Price |
Sep. 24th (Offense) |
Great Falls, VA (Langley) |
|
Noah Rosen |
Sep. 24th (Defense) |
Pittsburgh, PA (Fox Chapel Area) |
|
Sebastian Hardington |
Nov. 5th (Offense) |
Jacksonville, FL (Episcopal) |
2012 Emory Team Leaders:
|
Goals |
Andrew Natalino |
14 |
|
Assists |
David Garofalo |
6 |
|
Points |
Andrew Natalino |
31 |
|
Game Winning Goals |
Dylan Price |
6 |
|
Shots |
Andrew Natalino |
64 |
|
Shots on Goal |
Andrew Natalino |
32 |
|
Wins |
Abe Hannigan |
9 |
|
Saves |
Abe Hannigan |
31 |
|
Shutouts |
Abe Hannigan |
3 |
|
GAA |
Abe Hannigan |
1.29 |
Emory in the Final NCAA D-III Statistical Rankings:
|
Category |
Rank |
Total |
|
Scoring Offense |
67th |
2.25 |
|
Total Goals |
57th |
45 |
|
Team Goals Against Average |
177th |
1.34 |
|
Shutout Percentage |
148th |
0.3 |
|
Won-Lost-Tied Percentage |
131st |
0.6 |
|
Saves Per Game |
373rd |
3.15 |
|
Save Percentage |
338th |
0.692 |
|
Total Assists |
28th |
40 |
|
Total Points |
50th |
130 |
Eagles in the Final NCAA D-III Individual Statistical Rankings:
|
Category |
Player |
Rank |
Total |
|
Points Per Game |
Andrew Natalino |
69th |
1.55 |
|
Total Points |
Andrew Natalino |
62nd |
31 |
|
Goals Per Game |
Andrew Natalino |
49th |
0.7 |
|
Total Goals |
Andrew Natalino |
35th |
14 |
|
Dylan Price |
74th |
12 |