The Madison College men’s soccer team was eliminated from the Region IV Division III soccer tournament on Oct. 16, which provided an unfortunate end to an otherwise positive season.

The 4-1 loss in the semifinal match was doled out by the Harper College Hawks, who were victorious in all three meetings with the WolfPack this season. 

The WolfPack finished 10-5-1 in their 2018 campaign, falling just short of last year’s record of 11-5-1, with the additional win coming from a victory in the aforementioned tournament semifinal. 

This marks the first time in three seasons that Madison College has not made the tournament final.

After his sixth season as head coach, Cory Sims was able to reflect on the team’s progress over the two-month campaign. 

“I thought that our season was positive overall.  We had a dedicated group of freshmen who made significant strides towards becoming impact players, and sophomores who played key roles in our successes this season.  We have a lot to be proud of,” Sims said.

The only man to find the back of the net for Madison College in the semifinal was center-half Ryan Traynor, who scored in the fifth minute of play after the WolfPack was already down by two goals. 

Although WolfPack freshman goalkeeper Saxon LaFlash had a strong match in the net with seven saves, the defeat was inevitable. 

Dejesus Herrera — whose heroic match-winning goal in the quarterfinals saw the WolfPack through to the semis — was unable to make lightning strike twice. 

The WolfPack’s season was all but put to bed after another first-half Harper College goal in the 26th minute.

Although Herrera was unsuccessful on the day, it has been record-breaking season for the forward. He now holds the single season goal-scoring record at 23. During his historic season he produced multiple goals in nine different matches. 

Full-back Will Hamilton, who has had a consistent ability to come up with the perfect pass throughout the season, finished out with a team-high eight assists.  His excellent play on the ball down the flank is also worthy of recognition.

Eager for another strong push for the title, Coach Sims is already planning for 2019. 

“Obviously it is disappointing to not make it as far as we would have liked in the postseason, but I feel confident that we will take the wisdom gained from our experiences this season and improve for the future,” said Sims.