Team "Combined" Wins First-Ever Intramural Soccer Championship
WASHINGTON, DC - University of the District of Columbia hosted its first ever intramural soccer competition on Thursday, October 11th and Friday, October 12th. Thursday's competition featured four teams and two separate half-field games while Friday featured the championship match between Team "Combined" and Team "Awesome."
Team Awesome was comprised of seven athletics staff members: (interns) Matthew Brinton, Chris Sumner and Nolan Jez, (Associate AD for Marketing and Communications) Matthew Rienzo, (Sports Information Director) Eric Zedalis, (Administrative Assistant) Sandra Smith, (Aquatics Director) Lauren Fuchs, as well as two other student add-on players.
Team Awesome stormed back from a 5-1 first-half deficit to pull within a goal, but Team Combined hung on for an exciting 6-5 win.
The first half was all former District of Columbia men's soccer star, senior Nana Bamfo (Biology) of team Combined, who scored all five goals compared to team Awesome's lone goal by intern, Nolan Jez.
The second half was a much different game as Intramural League Commissioner Kendra Greene changed the layout of the field and traded lacrosse nets for regulation soccer goals. For Team Awesome, it was Rienzo's stellar keeper skills only allowing one Bamfo goal the entire second 20-minute half. Team Awesome stormed back to pull within one goal in the last three minutes thanks to goals by three different players, including a goal and assist by Zedalis.
Team Combined, the Intramural Champions, was comprised of: senior Evanna Reynoso (Information Technology), senior Marlon Ulloa (Information Technology), former Firebird volleyball player, senior Mirella Nunes (Business Management), senior Dipu Rajak (Information Technology), senior Joseph Wilson (Criminal Justice), freshman Edward Friebe (Mechanical Engineering), junior Bhuwan Thapa (Electrical Engineering), and Nana Bamfo, who scored all six goals.