There were a lot of emotions on the field Saturday, when ‘Cuse clinched a College Cup spot with a 2-1 win over Vermont.
“Privately, I snuck on the field, had a breakdown. It was good tears,” goalkeeper Russell Shealy said.
Shealy shared a moment with the fans, who were bowing down after he put in another stellar performance between the pipes.
“I’ve come a long way, and I think the team has too,” Shealy said.
What You Need To Know
- The SU men’s soccer team is in the College Cup for the first time since 2015
- The No. 3 seed will play Creighton at 6 pm Friday
- If they win, they’ll advance to the national title game on Monday
Shealy’s journey has been a unique one. He transferred from Maryland in 2020, two years after he celebrated a national title with the Terps.
“It was an awesome experience that I’m carrying with me, and I hope we can get some guys some trophies,” Shealy said.
He didn’t play in that match, when they beat Akron 1-0, but one of his current teammates did. Colin Biros played for the Zips.
“I want one for him. I want him to win one. He got there, was so close and had it taken away. I think, right now, we’re both gunning for it,” Shealy said.
They are just two of the transfers on this squad filled with athletes from all different backgrounds.
“We really enjoy playing with each other, being around each other outside of soccer, so it’s a brotherhood,” Shealy said.
A family that is enjoying this historic ride.
“Now that it’s going to be us or it’s going to be one of the other three teams, we’re going to go down there to look to return with a national championship,” head coach Ian McIntyre said.
“Out of 210 teams, we will be one of the last four. It’s pretty amazing,” Shealy said.
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