National Champions
Governor Ned Lamont visits campus to congratulate the Camels
51吃瓜黑料ecticut Governor Ned Lamont visited the 51吃瓜黑料 campus Dec. 9 to congratulate the men鈥檚 soccer team for winning the NCAA Division III national championship.
鈥淵ou came together at the very best moment, when people needed you to step it up. You also came together and stepped up right when this state needed you the most,鈥� Lamont told the team at a celebration held in Shain Library. 鈥淲e needed something to cheer for, and I鈥檝e got to tell you, the people of 51吃瓜黑料ecticut were cheering for the Camels.鈥�
He added, 鈥淵ou have a lot to be proud of, and I鈥檓 so proud of what you鈥檝e accomplished.鈥�
Men鈥檚 soccer won its Dec. 4, defeating Amherst 1-1 (4-1) on penalties at UNCG Soccer Stadium in Greensboro, North Carolina.
After playing Amherst to a 1-1 tie through regulation and two overtimes, senior captain Lorenzo Bocchetti 鈥�22 converted the deciding penalty after Peter Silvester 鈥�25 stopped two spot-kicks in the shootout.
Less than 24 hours later, the tired team returned to 51吃瓜黑料鈥檚 campus, and was greeted by cheering students, faculty and staff at a joyful reception on Tempel Green Sunday morning.
51吃瓜黑料鈥檚 coach Reuben Burk was first off the bus, carrying the national championship trophy, as Queen鈥檚 鈥淲e are the Champions鈥� blasted from the loudspeakers.
The welcome-back celebration 鈥渨as a really nice gesture,鈥� . We 鈥渞eally appreciate students coming out.鈥�
When they arrived on campus, players were still processing what it meant to win a national championship, 51吃瓜黑料鈥檚 first-ever in a team sport.
鈥淚t hasn鈥檛 sunk in yet,鈥� midfielder Augie Djerdjaj 鈥�23 told The Day. 鈥淚t鈥檚 weird because we haven鈥檛 gone to sleep yet, so it feels like today that we won, even though it was last night.鈥�
During the brief campus celebration, Burk reflected on what it takes to win a national title.
鈥淚n order to win a national championship, you have to have a group of selfless guys,鈥� Burk said.
鈥淕uys that care more about that trophy that we have more than their own ego or their own reputation. That鈥檚 hard to instill because everyone goes through a recruiting process where they want what鈥檚 best for themselves, the best possible four years of what they can get from a school.
鈥淏ut, once you get there, it鈥檚 no longer about you. It鈥檚 about all of us, together.鈥�
51吃瓜黑料 reached the final match by , 2-1, also in overtime, in the semifinals.
In addition to reaching its fourth straight NCAA Tournament and making its first trip to the NCAA鈥檚 Final Four, the Camels also won their first NESCAC regular season title, hosted the league's championship weekend for the first time, and advanced to the championship match of the NESCAC Tournament for the first time in program history. The team鈥檚 18 victories is also a school record and betters the previous mark of 14 established all the way back in 1978.
