Recap courtesy of the University of the District of Columbia Sports Information
MANCHESTER, NH – After starting out the season 1-6-2, 0-3 in ECC play, a Conference Championship, much less an NCAA Tournament berth, didn't seem to be in the cards for the Firebirds. However, UDC managed to turn the season around going 7-1-2, over the course of the next ten games, going on a historic post season run, winning it's first-ever ECC Championship title as the #6 seed, and earning just their second NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017. The #10 Firebirds fairy-tale season came to a close in Round 1 of the NCAA Tournament after a narrow 1-0 loss to #7 Post University, Friday afternoon.
In a defensive battle, both teams struggled to create opportunities in the first half, entering halftime scoreless. Post broke the deadlock in the 50th minute when Markus Tunge scored off an assist from Matheus Milagres.
The Firebirds mounted pressure late in the match but were unable to find the equalizer. UDC goalkeeper Giovanni Llamas made 6 saves to keep the Firebirds in contention, while Post's goalkeeper, Ricardo Moreno, secured the shutout with 2 key saves.
Key performances
Team Statistics
- Shots: UDC 8, Post 11
- Shots on Goal: UDC 2, Post 7
- Saves: UDC 6, Post 2
- Corner Kicks: UDC 0, Post 6
- Fouls: UDC 17, Post 11
UDC concludes the 2024 Fall season with an 8-8-4 overall record. They say good-bye to ten seniors, including All-Conference selections, Ignacio Pericet and Santiago Gordillo Martinez, Mustafa Tahir who scored the golden goal that led the Firebirds to the Championship title, captain Nicholas Reyes, Liam Thompson, Jonathan Diaz, Anthony Del Cid Gonzalez, Jovani Orellana , Ian Luque Sanchez and Giovanni Campero.