NEW LONDON, Conn. – Senior captain Lorenzo Bocchetti (Wilmington, Del.) converted a deciding penalty kick after freshman Peter Silvester (Smiths Parish, Bermuda) stopped two penalty shots as the Connecticut College men's soccer team captured the 2021 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer National Championship on Saturday evening at the UNCG Soccer Stadium.
 
After playing Amherst to a 1-1 tie through regulation and two overtimes, the Camels converted all four of their penalty kicks and only conceded one to win the first-ever NCAA Tournament team title for Connecticut College Athletics. Silvester, who came in cold after junior Sam Maidenberg (South Orange, N.J.) played the entire 110 minutes between the posts, stopped the first two penalty kicks he faced to set up Bocchetti's final heroics to seal the championship for the Camels.
 
Connecticut College got to shoot first, and junior Steve Yeonas (McLean, Va.), who scored the game-winning marker in last night's semifinal, set the tone by firing the ball down the middle to make it 1-0. Silvester then made his first save off of Felix Wu's attempt by diving low and to his right before Tshuma followed with a cannon to the upper right corner.
 
Bryce Johnson was the second Amherst shooter and also tested Silvester by trying to place the ball in the bottom left corner, but Silvester came through with another save that mirrored his first. An ensuing attempt by junior Augie Djerdjaj (Mahopac, N.Y.) was rifled down the middle to put the Camels in full control at 3-0, and even though Gabe Gitler was able to get one up and over the outstretched arms of a diving Silvester, it didn't matter. Bocchetti calmly placed the ball in the left corner of the net to end it and send the Camel bench and their faithful fans into bedlam.
 
Connecticut College got a good scare when a Mammoth flip throw by Bryce Johnson made its way inside the six and was batted away and cleared out of trouble by the defense. Amherst remained in full attack mode and threatened again when Ada Okorogheye drove in along the left endline, but Camel goalkeeper Sam Maidenberg (South Orange, N.J.) stopped his ensuing kick to keep the Mammoths off the board.
 
Maidenberg also gobbled up another flip throw with under 15 minutes remaining in the half, despite hitting the crossbar with his hands and as the Camel faithful breathed another side of relief. Although Connecticut College started to gain more momentum and possess the ball more in their offensive third, the teams headed into the recess scoreless and with the Mammoths holding a 4-0 advantage in total shots.
 
The Camels started to gain opportunities in the early stages of the second half and eventually drew first blood in the 60th minute. After Yeonas had his shot attempt from the edge of the box acrobatically deflected away by goalie Kofi Hope-Gund, sophomore Rye Jaran (Downingtown, Pa.) sent in a corner kick from the left side that was headed home by Djerdjaj. The NESCAC Player of the Year was able to put the Camels on the scoreboard and finish inside the far post despite being completely wrapped up and bear hugged by Amherst defender Felix Wu on the play.
 
Just over a minute after the goal, Amherst went into attack mode and saw top scoring threat German Giammattei breaking loose for the goal. However, the play was broken up by freshman defender Jack Kelesoglu (Westfield, N.J.) and cleared away from trouble and out of bounds.
 
Maidenberg batted away another loose ball that was lobbed into danger by Okorogheye with 15 minutes remaining, as the Camels dodged another bullet to remain ahead. Bocchetti then had a huge kick-away save about three yards ahead of the goal line on a blast by Okorogheye in the waning minutes.
 
Amherst kept its foot on the gas pedal and was able to surprisingly knot the score on a free kick with 87 seconds left in regulation to eventually force overtime. Ignacio Cubeddu lobbed a ball that ping ponged off several players, including Maidenberg, and through the chaos, Kyle Kelly was able to somehow push the ball over the goal line off his back.
 
In the extra session, Connecticut College had its first shot and chance to score when Bocchetti headed the ball over the goal off a corner kick taken by Yeonas from the right side. The Camels also earned a free kick with 5.6 seconds remaining, but Jaran's ball into the box was headed away by an Amherst defender.
 
The Camels continued to earn opportunities in the second extra session and had another free kick from a dangerous spot in the opening minutes. However, a leaping Marco Cerezo (Malaga, Spain) could not get a clean header towards the goal on Jaran's cross from the right corner. Shortly afterwards, Jaran unleashed a shot through three Amherst defenders that Hope-Gund made a leaping save on.
 
Amherst's best chance came with just over four minutes left when Okorogheye broke through inside the box, but Kelesoglu got his foot out to prevent a point-blank shot by the Mammoth striker. Neither side could get a good look over the final minutes, and the national champion was decided through a shootout with the Camels coming out on top.
 
Maidenberg made one save and several other big plays on punchouts for Connecticut College, which denied the Mammoths an opportunity to win their second national crown, before passing the baton to Silvester for the shootout. Hope-Gund turned away four shots in the losing effort.
 
Bocchetti led a group of four Camels who were placed on the all-tournament team by also being named the weekend's Defensive MVP. Yeonas, Kelesoglu, and Tshuma also made the all-tournament squad.
 
With tonight's national championship, the Connecticut College men's soccer program completed its most successful season in school history. In addition to reaching its fourth straight NCAA Tournament and making its first trip to the NCAA's "Final Four," the Camels also won their first NESCAC regular season title, hosted the league's championship weekend for the first time, and advanced to the championship match of the NESCAC Tournament for the first time in program history. The team's 19 victories is also a school record and betters the previous mark of 14 established all the way back in 1978.
 
Connecticut College graduates three seniors – Aiden Scales, Bocchetti, and Tshuma – and is slated to return more than 25 letterwinners next season.