Matthew Levine

Past Entries

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Entry 2

Entry 3

September 29, 2003

It's been well worth the wait.

At the outset of the season I never imagined that we would be undefeated after nine games. Having powerful sides such as Christopher Newport, Greensboro, Methodist and Piedmont on our schedule has inevitably proved to be too much to overcome in the past.

However, for the first time since my arrival at Emory the team has figured out a way to come away from each game with a ‘W’. The team has begun to click more and more, on as well as off the field. After three years of remaining unranked nationally, we have recently moved into the No. 3 spot according to the NSCAA coaches poll.

While the hard work and perspiration expended in the last three seasons went unrecognized on paper, all of a sudden, our efforts have paid off and everything seems to be clicking. This success can not be attributed to any player or group on the field, but to a combination of features.

Our team has a rigid defense that has allowed just four goals in nine games, and just two against the run of play. The fluid midfield has the ability to defend against the best, and spark counterattacks down the middle as well as up the wings.

Up front, a potent offense has found a way through every defense so far, pouring in 26 of the team's 35 goals. Last, but not least, our goalkeeping has been nothing short of spectacular this year as Rohit has come up with some enormous saves to invigorate our team when we needed it most.

Going into October undefeated and ranked No. 3 in the nation is an amazing feeling and well worth the wait. However, this success comes with accountability as well as an enormous red ‘X’ on our backs. Every team we face is going to be fired up to take us down.

As we have seen in the past, the seven other teams that make up the UAA are always extremely challenging. The atmosphere that the UAA season creates makes it increasingly difficult to come away from each game with a ‘W’. If we can continue to play as a coherent unit I think we will be able to persevere and give ourselves a chance to make the tournament for the first time in my Emory career!

Matthew Levine is a senior from Princeton, N.J. He would love to answer e-mail questions from Emory recruits and fans.