MEYER: The Power of the Upset

Whether it triggers an emotional outburst of joy, euphoria, anger or depression (depending upon your rooting interests, of course), virtually any sports fan would be hard pressed to argue that there is anything quite like the occurrence of an upset.

From the origin of the term in 1919, when a racehorse named Upset handed the legendary Man O’War its only career loss, we’ve had the privilege to bear witness to similarly remarkable feats.

Paramount among these is the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey team’s win over the seemingly unbeatable Soviet Union, the so-called ‘Miracle on Ice,’ a game that had a profound impact on the athletic and political worlds, alike.

Even more recently, we saw a quintessential mid-major basketball school in George Mason University shock established college hoops powers on an inconceivable run to the Final Four in 2006.

And despite the fact that it didn’t fully come to fruition, we nearly saw a monumental athletic performance for the ages this past summer, when the legendary Tom Watson was one hole away from capturing the British Open at age 59.

The perceived impacts and emotional implications of these events have a reach far beyond the final score, though. As Americans, it seems like we’re all genetically predisposed to have an unconditional love for the underdog, for those who have the odds stacked against them, but yet somehow find a way to prevail.

While I certainly wouldn’t rank it among some of the aforementioned David versus Goliath moments in history, this past Sunday, Nickerson Field played host to a considerable upset in its own right, as the BU men’s soccer team toppled St. John’s University, a team that came into the game ranked No. 1 in the nation.

Some of you out there (all five of you who read my column) may wonder if this win was really that astounding. After all, the Terrier men are ranked 14th and 17th in the polls, so they aren’t exactly the downtrodden long-shot of lore, but the makeup and the qualities of the team that they lined up against and defeated make this win that much more significant.

Aside from its No. 1 ranking, St. John’s is a program that’s quite simply on a higher echelon than BU in soccer. We’re talking about an institution that is royalty in collegiate soccer, a program that is usually towards the top of the Big East, has produced a slew of All-Americans and professional players, is a routine presence in the Final Four, and is even the proud owner of a national championship banner.

It is a program that has the inherent advantage of being the predominant power in the New York- New Jersey area, perhaps the most fertile soccer recruiting ground in the country. In addition to these homegrown products are elite international players who come in with the promise of playing for a top program like St. John’s.

If all of this wasn’t overwhelming enough, there were also distinct talent and match-up advantages for the Red Storm. Yet for an exalted 90-minute span of time, none of this seemed to faze the BU men, not even in the slightest bit.

Sure, St. John’s seemed to have a better hold on the match, possessing the ball for a majority of the game, giving BU fans quite a few scares, but Hrafn Davidsson and the BU defense more than held their own and preserved a clean sheet. Davidsson made saves when he needed to and the defense contained a high-powered St. John’s attack, an effort highlighted by Colin Henry heading away the would-be game tying goal on an off-guard Davidsson, a heads-up play (no pun intended) that one would have to expect from a Neil Roberts’ team.

And of course there was the play that has been the source of all this joy and is the reason for me even writing this column ‘-‘- striker Stephen Knox’s beautifully placed goal in the side netting off of a fantastic through ball from Aaron O’Neal, a play that sent a fairly subdued crowd into pure pandemonium.

I wrote last week that a win against the Red Storm would justify the belief that this Terrier men’s team is destined for something greater than just an America East title. With Sunday’s events now firmly engrained in our minds, the seedy underbelly that comes with a high-powered upset emerges: how do you manage to follow it up?

In quite a few cases, a team becomes substantially overwhelmed. So much emphasis, focus, and dedication had been paid to one important game that complacency naturally settles in wake of all of the excitement from the last game, and a team begins to slide, never really able to move on from that one shining moment.

On the other hand, a culminating win can propel a team to greater heights, with the players using the confidence and swagger in all of the right ways, never losing sight of what lies ahead.

Time will only tell what the win over St. John’s will amount to and these next few weeks for the BU men will have a profound bearing on that.

However, regardless of how things ultimately play out, what will never be forgotten was that on a pristine Sunday night in New England, the Terriers put forth all of their skill and determination to take down the top-ranked team in the country in a contest that will remain in the history books of BU athletics for years and years to come.

Even if you don’t watch David Tyree’s helmet catch repeatedly on YouTube or tear up at the end of ‘Rudy’, that’s something that a fan of the upset or just a true sports fan can genuinely appreciate.