With a trip to the intramural soccer semifinals on the line, Sigma Chi used strong defense and capitalized on turnovers to zoom past the previously undefeated Minutemen, 5-0.

The game began slowly — neither team could keep possession of the ball. Sigma Chi attempted to score early, but poor shot selection and dominant goalie play by the Minutemen kept both teams in the game.

The Minutemen players are known for their quick offense and scoring, but they couldn’t execute offensively from the onset of the game. It seemed as if the second their feet touched the ball, it would go out of bounds or be stolen by a Sigma Chi defender.

"We gave it our all for the whole season, but tonight, we couldn’t physically keep up with them," Minutemen member Andy Kemerley said.

But both teams showed up defensively in the first half, stealing the ball easily and working hard to keep the other side away from the goal. Both goalies had their hands full but managed to make effective and difficult saves that kept the game scoreless deep into the first half.

That changed when Sigma Chi’s Jake Remegi sent the ball flying into the net to give his team a 1-0 lead with three minutes left in the period.

Remegi shoved a Minutemen defender after his goal, which drew an immediate chat with the referee; the official instructed members of both teams to calm down before the next Minutemen possession.

The Minutemen closed the half aggressively but couldn’t manage to find the goal before the whistle.

It was all Sigma Chi from the onset of the second half. Tough defense was a large reason, and the team continued to force turnovers that allowed ample one-on-one opportunities.

The second goal came off an in-bounds kick, and Sigma Chi managed to score again seconds later after stealing the ball from the Minutemen just after the ensuing kickoff. Five different members of Sigma Chi scored during the game, including Remegi, Jon Krupko, and captain Sam Driscoll.

"We kept up the intensity in the second half," Driscoll said. "We also started putting our shots away."

The Minutemen were visibly frustrated with the blowout, and turned to Trevor Davis to see what he could do with his team down by 5. It looked as if Davis would put his team on the board when the physical nature of the game bought him a free kick.

His shot, a perfect kick to the center of the goal appeared to be going into the net, but Sigma Chi goalie Adam Lasswell tipped the ball over the crossbar.

Further attempts by Davis and his teammates were also futile, and the high-scoring Minutemen faced the feeling of being held scoreless, something the team was used to seeing from the other side of the scoreboard.

"The Minutemen will be back next year," Kemerley said.