2003

Emory University was selected for the NCAA Division III national tournament, its first berth since 1998. Emory reached the postseason by receiving one of four national at-large bids extended by the NCAA. The Eagles eventually were eliminated in the round of 32 in the NCAA tournament.

Emory finished the season with a final ranking of No. 20 by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). That was its highest end-of-season ranking since 1989. The Eagles compiled a 16-3-1 record, tying a school record for most wins in a season.

Offensively, Emory finished the season ranked 19th in the nation in goals per game (final NCAA statistics announced in January). The Eagles' defense ranked 28th in the nation in team goals against average. The squad's 0.69 GAA set a school record. The unit also notched eight shutouts, second-highest total in 17 years.

Unranked in the national pre-season poll, the Eagles began the season with a school-best 12-0-1 start. During that stretch, the squad compiled Emory firsts of an 11-game winning streak and eight consecutive road wins.

The turning point came in the seventh game, against regional rival Greensboro (N.C.), then ranked No. 6 in the country. The Eagles traveled to Greensboro and beat it, 3-1, for Emory's first-ever road win in the series between the two teams.

As a result of that win, Emory jumped in the national poll from unranked to No. 4 in the country, tying the biggest jump ever by a Division III team, according to available NSCAA records. At one point, Emory was ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation, and in all, spent seven weeks in the national top five. Emory also took over as the top team in the South regional polls after the Greensboro victory and held on to that spot for the next eight weeks to conclude the season.

Matthew Levine became the fifth Eagle to win conference Player of the Year honor and was one of a school-record five players selected for the University Athletic Association all-conference first team. An Emory player was chosen as the conference "Athlete of the Week" nine times, the second-highest total in school history and the most since 1998 when 11 were chosen.

The following Emory players received individual post-season honors:

Rohit Agarwal
In his first season as a full-time starter, sophomore Rohit Agarwal helped Emory set a school record for team goals against average (0.69). His 14 goals allowed tied the fewest by an Emory goalie in the last 19 years. Agarwal allowed no more than one goal in each of Emory's first 13 contests. He notched four shutouts on the season and shared four more. With a current career goals against average of 0.69, Agarwal is on pace to break the existing record of 0.91.

Jon Arost
Junior forward Jon Arost scored a career-high 10 goals and added six assists. Against Shorter (Ga.) on Sept. 4, he scored the second hat trick of his career. In both of his career hat tricks, teammate Anthony Esposito had three assists, one of four times in Emory history where teammates racked up three goals and three assists in the same contest. Arost's three goals were the most by an Eagle in one game this season. Arost finished the season third on the squad in goals. He was the only non-defensive player on the team to start all 20 games this season. Arost ranks 11th in the Emory record books for career points, goals, and assists.

Karl Dix
Sophomore Karl Dix totaled 18 assists on the season, good for second in the nation in the last NCAA Division III regular-season report (final NCAA statistics announced in January). That assist total is the third highest ever in a season by an Eagle. Dix added six goals, including the game winner against regional rival Greensboro (N.C.). In an Oct. 17 game against Case Western Reserve (Ohio), Dix tied a conference and Emory record with three assists. He and teammate Anthony Esposito were the only UAA players to have as many as three assists in a game this season. Dix finished the season third on the team in points.

Anthony Esposito
The junior midfielder netted one goal and eight assists for a career-best 10 points. Esposito missed two games and all but eight minutes of the team's NCAA tournament game due to injury. In an Oct. 5 game against Shorter (Ga.), Esposito registered three assists to tie an Emory record shared by five players. It was the second three-assist game of his career. Five of his eight assists this season came on game-tying or winning goals. Esposito was selected for the all-conference first team, his second consecutive year with all-conference honors. Esposito is tied for ninth all-time at Emory for career assists (20).

Andrew Goldberg
At forward, Andrew Goldberg recorded four goals and six assists for 14 points. The senior also chipped in with one game-winning goal. Goldberg ranks 15th all-time in school history for career goals (18) and 16th in career points (48). He was named Emory "Athlete of the Week" one time. His best game was against Huntingdon (Ala.) where he had a goal and two assists.

Matthew Levine
Senior forward Matthew Levine became the fifth Eagle to be honored as the University Athletic Association's Player of the Year. Levine was selected to the all-conference first team for the third straight year, a feat accomplished by only two other players in Emory history. Levine began the season with a 10-game goal-scoring streak that included three multi-goal games. He finished it leading the Eagles in goals (15) and points (35). He was ranked nationally as high as eighth and ninth, respectively, in those categories. Levine finished his collegiate career with 120 points, 49 goals, and 22 assists, totals that rank second, third, and sixth in the school record book.

Kevin McCarthy
In addition to making the all-conference first team, Kevin McCarthy was a part of a defense that recorded a school-record 0.69 team goals against average. His efforts on defense helped Emory rank No. 28 in the nation in NCAA's last Division III regular season report (final NCAA statistics announced in January). The junior sweeper helped the team allow 17 fewer goals this season than last season--the biggest single-season improvement in goals against in school history.

Chris Nehls
Senior Chris Nehls was second on the team in both goals and points despite starting only three games on the season. Nehls was chosen to the all-conference first team in a season when he scored a career-best 13 goals that ranks 14th at Emory for goals in a season. Nehls finished his career in the top 15 at Emory in career goals. His best game came against Brandeis (Mass.) when he scored twice and assisted twice.

Chris Scharer
Senior defender Chris Scharer received honorable mention for the all-conference team for the first time in his career. His efforts on defense were seen in Emory recording a team goals against average of 0.69 that ranked No. 28 in the nation in NCAA's final Division III regular season report (final NCAA statistics announced in January). His play helped the team allow 17 fewer goals this season than last season--the biggest single-season improvement in goals against in school history. Scharer finished his Emory career with two goals and five assists.

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Written by Ang Wu, Emory sports information assistant.