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— story and pictures by Patrick Magoon (patrickmagoon.com) of WIZS — Patrick Magoon is a recent UNC-C communications graduate looking to build his sports portfolio by writing and taking photos for WIZS

Over the weekend, WakeMed Soccer Park hosted a monumental NCAA championship matchup between the Virginia Cavaliers and the visiting Georgetown Hoyas. It was a long, high-scoring affair between two top-tier soccer squads. Both teams spent the first 90 minutes trading goals, which called for two overtime periods and an extended run of penalty kicks to determine a winner. Here is what I experienced as a photographer on the sideline.

I arrive at the soccer complex approximately 45 minutes before kickoff. I walked towards the stadium and quickly realized I was entering a scene unparalleled to previous sporting events. Although I have attended numerous professional soccer games at WakeMed Soccer Park, the vibes were better than I imagined.

To my right, a sea of passionate college fans bundled up in college fan gear swarmed the gates at the main entrance. Without delay, I fast-walked to the media check-in table. An older, bearded man with a long list of names handed me a media pass and blue sticker to wrap around my sleeve. My path to the field was located at the double door entrance to the locker rooms.

Before walking onto the cold, moist turf field, I quickly scanned the crowd and soaked in my surroundings. The cool air comprised of ecstatic cheering and smoke from the kitchens. I look to my right, and I see a student-filled section of seats swarmed by the colors of Virginia. Then I look to my left and saw another section controlled by students cheering on the Hoyas.

The warmup period looked nearly identical to every other soccer event I have covered and wasn’t easy to photograph. Players stretched, shared a laugh, took some shots on frame, and practiced a series of one-touch passing drills.

Moments later, the referee blew his whistle, and both teams wasted no time moving the ball swiftly up and down the sideline. I saw plenty of action in both penalty areas through the use of several creative set pieces and strategic corner kicks.

Most of the match looked clean, but players didn’t shy away from some slight pushing and assertive sliding to break up passes. Healthy competition kept the game close, which forced both coaches to adjust their gameplan to avoid falling behind.

Then the pace of the match changed. Crisp passes turned to sloppy kicks as both teams desperately tried to hold their lead in the final fifteen minutes of regular time. I heard numerous players yelling and projecting a few vulgar words at sideline referees. Players fell like dominoes while trying to create scoring opportunities. For a few minutes, I thought the main referee was close to losing control of the game, but he managed bookings accordingly and disciplined players promptly. Fans sat on the edge of their seats anxiously waiting for the outcome of the game.

In the end, the Hoyas outlasted the Cavaliers in penalty kicks and capped off a 17-win streak with their first championship trophy.