The men’s soccer team (9-5-4 overall, 3-2-4 conference) clinched a spot in the Patriot League playoffs after beating American University on Saturday and ending their match against West Point with a tie on Wednesday night.
The Maroon and White underwent extensive preparation in anticipation of these matchups, which included diligent scouting from the coaching staff.
“Our coach spends a lot of time analyzing the other team,” senior midfielder Yiannis Panayides said. “We understand how to hit them where it hurts, and that we must change our formation in order to do so.”
The Leopards kicked things off on Saturday with a goal from Panayides assisted by senior forward Marcos Kitromilides. Panayides catapulted the ball into the left corner of the net, putting the Leopards up 1-0.
In the 73rd minute, Kitromilides found the back of the net himself off an assist from sophomore midfielder Jack Borden, marking Kitromilides’ eighth goal of the season.
American managed to put a penalty kick into the back of the net in the 84th minute of the contest, but Lafayette emerged victorious, 2-1.
Lafayette bested American in the shots category, with nine shots on goal compared to the Eagles’ five. Senior goalkeeper Alex Sutton made one save.
According to Panayides, the Maroon and White exhibited both its strengths and weaknesses during the match.
“We were very good defensively, but we could improve upon the last five to 10 minutes where we lost our concentration and they scored a penalty kick,” Panayides said.
The Leopards then went on to play the Army Black Knights in their final regular season matchup. Despite Lafayette having much offensive momentum, the game ended in a 0-0 draw, with junior midfielder Benji Grossi and sophomore forward Lawrence Aydlett leading Lafayette with two shots each. Sutton finished the night with two saves, marking his sixth clean sheet of the season.
Overall, the Leopards have had quite a successful season, and there are several key components that have made this possible.
“We are locked in and invested in practice, we bond outside the field and we have a wide range of understanding, respect and support for each other,” Panayides said.
The Leopards look to apply these values and continue their success as they approach the start of the Patriot League Tournament. The first round will be held tomorrow, at Navy at 7 pm.