Intramural soccer crowns champs

Fetzer Gym transformed from a simple workout facility to the mecca of North Carolina intramural indoor soccer on Wednesday.

Fourteen teams walked into Fetzer for championships in their respective divisions, but only seven walked away clutching intramural champion t-shirts.

For many team members, this was their last shot to leave a mark on the intramurals before moving on with the next phase in life.

“This season was a fantastic way to close out my time in college,” said senior Quentin Adams, who led his undefeated Chi Psi team to an 8-1 championship win against Sigma Nu.

“This was the last intramural event I will participate in at Carolina, and it was absolutely the perfect way to end.”

For some, the trip to the finals was a familiar journey.

“This was my 8th season of IM soccer, my third trip to the finals, and my first IM championship,” first year law student Thomas Thurman said. “The word ‘closure’ doesn’t quite do that new t-shirt smell justice.”

Thurman co-captained two teams ­— the triumphant Stir It Up team from the co-rec league and the Potent Potables of the men’s intermediate division. Stir It Up took home a title, while the Potent Potables were handily defeated by Dark Star Behind, 6-0.

Phi Mu 1 also suffered a blowout defeat as the Goal Diggers relentlessly pounded the goal with shots in the women’s recreational final. The Goal Diggers won 6-2.

But not every match featured runaway victories. The comeback team of the men’s recreational league, Nankatsu, reached the championship game through a series of late goals, one scored in the last 30-second penalty of a game.

In the championship game, Nankatsu faced Dentist the Menace. The teams went into half with emotions running high as the score was tied 1-1. The score remained deadlocked until 2:30 remaining in the game when Nankatsu buried a shot to take a 2-1 lead it would hold on to.

Nankatsu team captain Ovunc Yilmaz attributed his team’s success to using a different strategy than the majority of other teams.

“Our team’s style was a lot different than other teams. We love and prefer dribbling instead of trying to pass, since indoor soccer is a very fast game almost with no breaks,” Yilmaz said.

The men’s, women’s and co-rec competitive divisions also saw intense games as all contests were decided by less than three goals. The Sakai Med Stars defeated the Blue Barracudas in the women’s competitive final, and in the men’s competitive league, the Railhawks defeated Turtle, 5-3. In the co-rec game, Ya Tu Sabes held off FC Chiasmatic, 5-3.

“Standing on the podium, listening to our national anthem and feeling the sweet cotton shirt being placed in my hand was the most rewarding part,” Caley Kropp of the Railhawks said.

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@dailytarheel.com.