It’s easy to label the Lipscomb men’s soccer team as an underdog in the NCAA tournament.
They just aren’t playing like one.
After a sluggish 1-7 start to the season, the Bisons have orchestrated a turnaround of epic proportions. Lipscomb is 10-2 in its last 12 matches, including tournament upsets at No. 17 Washington and at No. 9 Central Florida last week.
That sets up a Sweet 16 battle at No. 3 Kentucky this Saturday, when the odds will once again be stacked against Lipscomb.
“When people doubt this team, for whatever reason, it seems to fuel the fire,” Lipscomb goalie Chris Zappia said. “It’s nice to show everyone that we’re sort of the David in the [midst] of a bunch of Goliaths at this point.”
Those circumstances have allowed the team to play pressure-free on the big stage of the NCAA tournament.
“I think that makes us a really dangerous team,” coach Charles Morrow said. “There were games that were harder for us to deal with in our conference tournament because there was that pressure [to win].
“To be able to go out and play free is a beautiful thing. I don’t know that any of these guys really and truly feel that they’re the underdog. They feel like they can beat anyone.”
Lipscomb’s 2-0 loss at Butler in the program’s first-ever NCAA tournament appearance last season meant that some of this year’s team already had experience with the high stakes.
“We’ve been pretty loose, honestly,” forward Logan Paynter said. “I think last year helped a lot. We were pretty nervous then. This year a lot of the older guys have stepped in and said, ‘Hey, it’s okay to have some butterflies, but just enjoy this and don’t be scared of it.’”
Fittingly, both of Lipscomb’s NCAA tournament wins have come in improbable fashion. Backup goalie Luke Wilson emerged from the bench to stop a pair of Washington shots for a 5-4 win in penalty kicks last Thursday, and freshman Louis Robinson found the back of the net for an overtime victory at UCF just three days later.
“It’s crazier for people looking [in] from the outside,” Paynter said of the team’s Cinderella run. “For all of us, the craziest thing is that we were 1-7. We knew how much talent we had. We learned from all the losses and that’s why they happened…so we could go on this run now.”
While the Bisons may not be as talented as their tournament opponents, Morrow believes his team has something other programs are missing.
“The pillars of our program are brotherhood, passion and excellence,” he said. “I think that these guys have really bought into [that] culture here. What makes our team special is that you can tell that [the players] really like each other – they love each other.”
It remains to be seen whether the tight-knit squad can hold up against Kentucky, a team that beat Lipscomb 3-2 in overtime on Sept. 18.
Just don’t tell that to the Bisons.
“We’re definitely looking for a little revenge,” Paynter said. “We know them and how good of a team they are, and we know what we have to do to have a chance in that game.”
Photo courtesy of Lipscomb Athletics