For the fourth straight season, the Beavers men’s soccer team is hosting a playoff game.
Following a strong season from the Beavers, led by head coach Greg Dalby, the Beavers secured home-field advantage in the NCAA tournament. They will host Gardner-Webb University in Corvallis Thursday night, on what promises to be an intense, rainy night at Paul Lorenz Field.
Last season, The Beavers enjoyed their historic performance in the national tournament, winning their regional tournament and falling just one match short of the final.
Dalby insists this year is different, despite so many returning players, saying, “There’s a lot of returning players from last year’s group, but it’s a different team though. There are different challenges…Our 2024 team is different; personalities, player leadership, but there is definitely some carryover.”
This carryover will be crucial in success, with Dalby expecting the playoff experience from veterans of the squad to be the key to the mentality entering the crucial game.
With the heightened stakes of the match, Dalby is emphasizing to his group to focus on the game, and not the greater circumstances, saying, “You can’t worry about the occasions of the game or the consequences if you don’t win it.”
“There is a little bit of a mirage that might exist where you think you might have to do something different or special, and I think that is actually quite dangerous,” Dalby said.
Continuity is the key for the Beavers in Dalby’s eyes, saying “The message to our group is to stay the course and stay focused, there really isn’t anything different we need to do.”
As for the opponent, OSU has never played Gardner-Webb.
This is a challenge that excites Dalby, as he and his group look forward to playing new opposition.
Gardner-Webb, hailing from North Carolina, poses an interesting challenge for the Beavers, as they are dangerous both in possession and striking quickly with vertical attacks. Dalby expects dangerous set-pieces, something the Beavers struggled with early in the season.
The Bulldogs are coming off an impressive season, ending with a 12-3-3 record, good for second in the Big South Conference, while having the best defense in the conference.
Through seven conference matches, the Bulldogs only allowed five goals. The high-flying Beavers attack, led by striker Sergi Solans, who is fourth in the country in goals, will prove to be a strong test for the Bulldogs as they travel to Corvallis.
Along with hosting, Dalby expects a challenging match, saying, “I don’t think they’re gonna be afraid of coming on the road and playing a…highly rated team like ourselves.”
The start to the match is especially crucial to Dalby, an area where the Beavers have thrived this season, scoring early in most wins at home.
“They’re gonna be a big challenge. We are gonna have to handle their energy and their enthusiasm in the opening exchanges.”
Despite the impressive campaign, Dalby believes his team can hit an even higher level in the postseason, saying, “I still don’t think we’ve really played our best game over 90 minutes against quality opposition.”
Thursday may be the time for Dalby’s group to hit the levels possible, with the early signs looking positive. “We had an incredible practice today. The team is really focused, the locker room is really good.”
With rainy and windy weather in the forecast, Dalby expects some form of home advantage, mainly driven by the Beavers home support, and not the imminent bomb-cyclone storm hitting the Pacific Northwest.
When asked about a possible weather advantage, Dalby said, “The advantage is we are home.” Regardless of the weather, the Beavers have the upper hand in Dalby’s eyes.
Bad weather hasn’t kept fans away this season, with a record sell-out coming earlier in the year. “We’ve had some incredible sell-out crowds this year. Our players love it, they perform really well. It gives us a huge advantage if we have a big crowd. Our players love it,” Dalby said.
The winner of this match faces a daunting trip to the Mile High City to take on the University of Denver, ranked fourth nationally.
No matter what happens after Thursday’s clash with the Bulldogs, Dalby has full faith in his group to make a deep run, starting with their next match.
“We’ve played in a lot of high pressure situations…the key to it is to focus on the game, not the occasion of it,” Daly said.
The Beavers have enjoyed a memorable, historic 2024 season, breaking records and enjoying large crowds. Thursday night will be the final home game for the Beavers this season, regardless of the result.
Dalby, his team, and Beaver Nation hope it is a happy ending, and that the Beavers can replicate last season’s successes. Their journey to do so begins on Thursday night.