Gordon Men's Soccer has had a little bit of everything in almost three full years under the direction of Coach Derek Potteiger. A regular season title and a school record 19 wins in 2013, and now back-to-back Commonwealth Coast Conference championship game appearances. The Scots have won a NCAA tournament game, had numerous CCC players of the year awards and even a First Team All-American.
 
The one thing missing is that elusive conference championship trophy.
 
Twelve seasons have passed since Gordon last raised a CCC championship banner for Men's Soccer. The Fighting Scots went 14-3-5 during the 2003 season under the direction of Gordon legend Marc Whitehouse, not all dissimilar from the Scots mark heading into the 2015 championship. In those 12 years Gordon has made a finals appearance in four of them, including this season, but has been unable to close the door on another title.
 
The sting of the situation surrounding the 2014 championship game loss to Nichols has not consumed the Fighting Scots this season, but it certainly has not been completely left in the past. In many ways, Gordon has taken what they learned in that moment of tantalizing defeat and applied it over the course of a roller coaster season this fall.
 
"We've taken some small lessons from being in the game last year, both with preparation and guys learning some things individually from having that experience," says Potteiger in the days leading up to the rivalry showdown. "There was also some motivation in the offseason."
 
There is something to be said about teams having championship experience as opposed to preparing for a big game for the first time, but Potteiger is not about to rest his laurels solely on last year's appearance. "The cool thing about college soccer is that every year is different. Every team is different. Our team this year is different from each of the last two seasons. In a lot of ways, this is a brand new experience."
 
Gordon has found the right mix of veteran presence and instant contributions from rookies to lead them to this point. Caleb Cole (Coatesville, Pa.) led the Scots in scoring for the second consecutive season and picked up another Offensive Player of the Year award for his trouble. With opposing defenses having to gameplan for the fleet-footed junior, the rest of Gordon's midfield has thrived with more space to work.
 
Endicott poses a final hurdle for the Scots from achieving their ultimate goal. A senior-laden starting lineup has fully synced up and Potteiger acknowledges their playing experience has lent to the fact they do not have much of a hole in their lineup.
 
Gordon had chances to score in the first matchup between the two teams, a 1-0 loss just over a week ago, but near misses dominated the performance. There is no secret to the way the Scots move the ball, even against a strong defense like Endicott, which means Gordon will not change its approach in the offensive third.
 
A combination of previous experience and current cohesiveness is why the Fighting Scots are where they are, one game away from a national tournament bid. Still, the mindset for the team has not changed.
 
"I think the team is in a really good place right now. We have been talking about the opportunity to get back to this game all year and for that to become a reality, the guys are excited," said Potteiger.
 
"With that said, one of the mistakes we might have made the last two years is taking for granted that is was simply just the next game. It is such an awesome opportunity to play in a championship and that these don't come often."
 
"We don't need to be burdened by the moment."
 
 
Endicott Players to Watch:
 
Abdulla Al Khalifa – The senior forward has struck for a team-leading nine goals this season and has the best shots-on-goal percentage among starters at .591. Strong and dangerous up top.
 
Diego Maillo – Scored the lone goal in the first matchup between the two teams. Crafty forward who has tallied seven goals.
 
Diego Slobotzky – A creator on the edge who has also scored seven goals for the Gulls in 2015. Second on the team in points due to four assists.
 
Shintaroh Itoh – Quick, sound midfielder who is the main distributor for the Gulls. Second in the CCC in assists with eight, which doubles the next highest Endicott player.
 
Carter Ocko – Strong defensive back who shared Defensive Player of the Year honors with Gordon's Ben Gradert. Good recovery and occasionally creates chances in the counter.
 
Nick Weinstein – The Division I transfer has had a big impact on the Gulls defense. Only a junior, Weinstein has allowed only eight goals against and has pitched 13 shutouts, which leads the CCC by a wide margin. 

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