Photos courtesy of Larry Newman.
In just 43 seconds, men's soccer players Oliver Adams and Hudson Weinberger scored three goals combined and set a new NCAA record.
But as crazy as it sounds, quick scoring was always part of the plan.
“We always try to get a goal early,” sophomore business administration major Oliver Adams said. “We're at our best when we're up a goal early, like 1-0 on them within the first 15 minutes of a game. We can dictate how that game will go.”
Going up against Occidental on Oct. 7, the game plan remained the same. Start quick, get that early goal and control the momentum.
“We had a team talk before, and we knew if we came out fast, strong, quick and early we would have that momentum,” Adams said. “And then to get two goals back-to-back right after that, it kind of set our team on this upward trajectory for the rest of the game, which was super nice.”
With the team’s success against Occidental, Adams remains focused on the team's approach to games.
“When we get that early lead, we tend to try to keep the ball as much as we can and make the other team run. Obviously, running is not fun, so it kind of aggravates the other team. That's the ultimate goal: to make them annoyed and tired,” Adams said. “Then we find a moment with the lapse of concentration to then go get that second or third goal. Against Occidental, that lapse of concentration happened within 10 seconds after the first goal. Then the same again after the second goal. Those are those little moments we try to exploit. With Occidental, it took 10 seconds to get that moment. In other games, it might take 30 minutes to get that second moment.”
Looking forward at the season, the team also celebrated their senior night shortly after setting the record.
The team is quick to admit how valuable this senior class is to them. Not only on the field, but off as well. Adams specifically calls out captain Conner Kilde’s leadership as he comes back from injury.
Photos courtesy of Larry Newman.
“I think our senior class is kind of the backbone of this team,” Adams said. “Our captain, Connor Kilde, is injured this season. He'll be coming back next season. He's been a leader on and off the field. He's in every practice, every game. He's leading film sessions with the team. He's making sure guys are okay, and that guys are doing well.”
This trust in each other has brought the team closer than ever, strengthening that trust on and off the field and allowing everyone to play at their peak.
“I think the biggest thing is just trusting each other on the field, because we trust each other off the field,” Adams said. “It's a ‘Next guy up’ mentality. If I get injured, I know the next guy up is going to do as good as me, if not better. I've built that trust with them off the field and also on the field.”
This off-the-field chemistry has led the team to a successful season so far, with a 5-7-4 record. The team looks to continue building off their records for a strong end to the season.