When the intramural soccer captains received the email from Coach Satran, Connecticut College’s basketball coach and head of intramural soccer, it was as if students were glowing. Students at Connecticut College partake in intramural soccer each spring. The teams compete in Dayton Arena, on turf placed over the ice. Commissioner of the league Dillon Kerr ’15, a varsity soccer player, has set a standard of competitiveness and fun. The league consists of 11 teams with more than 100 people competing. There are a total of six players on the field at once. Many intramural players have been looking forward to the season since the final of last years where Darling Martor ’14 and his team The Black Mambas won the championship. Some returning teams from last year are Island of Misfit Toys, Team 2, Team Gilmore 3.0 and So Much Sass. Kerr said, “There’s a great turnout and a lot of great talent this year. The games have been ecstatic and thrilling so far.” Many players have been training in the off-season in preparation for intramural soccer.
One of the most intense games so far was a matchup with Team 2, captained by Charles Overton ’17, versus Pheebs, captained by Phoebe Ivain ’18. The April 14 match ended with Team 2 victorious, but Pheebs made it competitive with a lot of hard work. Most valuable player went to CC Chadwick ’18. Overton, a referee in the league as well, had a lot to say after the match: “It was intense.”
One team to watch out for is Team 7 captained by Matt Lillie ’17. This team works incredibly hard in their matches and has some good team chemistry, as this is their second season together. Some standouts are Jon Sokolsky ’17, David Pottle ’17 and Steph Gittings ’17. In goal, Gittings currently has the leading number of saves. In one match versus the Black Mamba’s, Gittings marked 22 saves for her team. Captain Lillie said this of Gittings: “I’m really happy with the way Steph has been playing recently. If she keeps this up she could be MVP of the league.” Sokolsky, a forward on the team, is praised for his incredibly high work rate up front competing for every 50-50 ball. He’s good with defensive shape up front and has a good strike. Pottle has good footwork, can play with both feet and is often man-marked by the opposition.
Out of the 11 teams, a total of eight make the playoffs where the 1st seed plays the 8th, 2nd the 7th etc. Teams looking to land in the top three seeds are PWM, The Black Mamba’s and Team Gilmore 3.0. It is possible we could see one if not two of these teams in the final on May 4.
Last year there was a good turnout for the final and there are high hopes this year. Captain of The Black Mamba’s Ibrahim Mutala said this, “We’re definitely going to be in the final.” Although there is a lot of tension in the league as playoff time approaches, Commissioner Kerr believes there’s better to come, “I have a good feeling there could be some big upsets. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the season will bring.” •
