What does it say about a program when getting to the states is step 1? That is now the expectation when any season begins for the Lansing Boys Varsity Soccer Program and has been ever since the 2004 squad, the first ones to do it. After beating Sauquoit Valley last weekend, the Bobcats punched their tickets for a return trip hoping the outcome would be better than last year's 1-0 loss in the semis to World of Inquiry.
But first, let's recap how they got there. The Bobcats first won the IAC Championship a month ago versus Elmira Notre Dame 1-0 on a nice night at TC3. Then postseason began the following weekend as the Bobcats took care of Odessa Montour 7-0 at Ithaca College. The next weekend almost stopped Lansing's opportunity to return to Middletown when they faced Greene on Greene's turf. The Bobcats went down early and it wasn't until two goals off of set pieces that put Lansing back ahead and on to regionals with a 2-1 victory. There they faced Sauquoit Valley at Herkimer CC. While the shot differential substantially favored Lansing, the result was only a 1-0 win, but they gladly took it to Middletown, a trip they had strived to make all year long.