Men's soccer proud of run

By CHAD ALVES

One of the greatest seasons in men's soccer history came to a close with a 1-0 defeat at the hands of defending champion Indiana in the National Championship game. After a trip to the Final Four last season, the Broncos built upon that performance in reaching the final for the first time since 1991, and they did it with impressive wins against some of the nation's best teams.

"I couldn't have asked to play on a team with better guys," Eyre said. "We're a family, and to make it to the final with those guys, there's nobody else I would want to get there with. I'm so proud of everybody for our performance. It was an incredible season."

After being ranked No. 1 earlier in the season, Santa Clara entered the NCAA Tournament with one thought in mind: winning the National Championship. Their run was impressive, but the team was not satisfied. They expected more out of themselves, and they displayed their ability and desire to prove themselves throughout the playoffs.

"The difference was that last year we were just happy to get to the Final Four," senior defender Adam Eyre said. "Our mission this year was to win, and we were never satisfied with anything less."

The Broncos' determination was quite obvious as they found ways to win game after game in their quest for the championship. Three of the team's four tournament victories came in overtime, including a semifinal win over Connecticut in four overtimes.