The Robert Morris men’s soccer team’s magical season continues in Ann Arbor, Mich. Thursday evening as they face the Michigan Wolverines in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.
This is just the Colonials fourth ever NCAA Tournament berth and their first since 2005.
Head coach Jonathan Potter is in just his second season as head coach, doing what he did similar at his previous job at Presbyterian, leading the program to instant success. He led the Blue Hose to the NCAA Tournament in 2017.
“We’re excited for the challenge ahead,” Potter said. ““Each one of these guys has grown. They have their story in history, to let us to where we are today.”
Natrona Heights, Pa., native Gabe Norris believes that the team is on ‘bonus time’ and looking to extend their season as much as possible.
“These are extra games we get to play,” Norris said. “We’re excited at looking forward to the next challenge.”
The senior was knocked out of the Horizon League Championship against Oakland where he revealed to have split his lip and chipped a tooth, forcing him into concussion protocol during the second half.
“Watching it from the sideline. I couldn’t handle it. It’s horrible,” Norris said. “I was on the sideline watching my best friends trying to fight for a championship.”
His teammates came through, especially junior defender Victor Thompson. the native of the Cayman Islands buried his first collegiate goal in the ninth minute to give the game its only goal, securing the Colonials bid to the ‘Big Dance.’
“To see him score a goal like that, and for him to show the emotion he showed. It was awesome,” Norris said. “It rallied the guys even closer together.”
“For our guys to win that particular match, in the fashion that we did, to be dominant in that game. Gave the guys a lot of belief that no matter who we play, we can win. Those experiences battle-test you for knockout games.” Potter said.
The Colonials are led by their upperclassman like Norris. Senior Chase Gilley’s lead the team with seven goals, with four of them being game-winners, including his late goal in the 1-0 semifinal win over Milwaukee. Anass Hadran leads the Horizon League with seven assists this season and goalkeeper Josh Lane had a Horizon Leagie-leading six clean sheets this season.
As for their opponent, they have no easy task, facing the Big Ten’s ‘mighty’ Michigan Wolverines. The Wolverines are the Big Ten Tournament’s runner-up, falling to their arch-rival Ohio State in the Championship game in Columbus.
This is the ninth time they have qualified for the NCAA Tournament and first time since 2019, however they are seeking their first win since 2012.
The Wolverines are one of five teams in the conference to make the field of 48.
They are led by graduate senior Bryce Blevins. He leads the Wolverines with 18 points (5 goals, 8 assists). Blevins was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team with his assists in both the quarterfinals and semifinals.
Their leading goal scorer is Jason Bucknor, with six. He too was named to the All-Tournament team after scoring the game-winner against No. 2-seeded Indiana in the quarterfinals.
The Wolverine goalkeeper Isaiah Goldson ranked fifth in the Big Ten with a 1.14 goals against average. He had six saves in the championship loss to the Buckeyes. The sophomore has stopped four shots or more in four of his last five starts.
Coach Potter knows about the parity in Division I soccer, so to face a team like Michigan, he and the team are not afraid to face a big-name school like them.
“I think this team has all the ingredients of a team that can win games in the NCAA tournament,” Potter said. “This sport is all about confidence and belief. The talent level among most teams is pretty even. It comes down to confidence and mindset of people.”
For a team that did not even qualify for the Horizon League Tournament, Potter and the team look to continue that mindset into Thursday evening.
The Colonials look to continue playing their ‘bonus time’ on the road in Michigan. Kick-off is set for 6 p.m. The winner will face the no. 5 seed Dayton.
This article used quotes from Pittsburgh Sports Now.
