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When men’s soccer junior goaltender Nickolas Cardona suited up for a preseason scrimmage, the last thing he imagined was the bookends closing prematurely.
But unfortunately for Cardona, a season-ending injury brought him to the last page before even flipping to chapter one.
There was really only one word to describe that moment.
It rang through the crowd, coaches and players alike. There was nothing anyone could do but cradle that sinking feeling in their stomach, flush swarming their faces.
Because in times of uncertainty, in moments that no one is ever prepared for, all anyone can feel is fear.
“It’s scary,” junior netminder Karl Netzell said. “All the goalkeepers are really close to each other, and we also knew that could have been us because we play that position.”
It’s cliche, but Vin Diesel’s character, Dom Toretto, from the “Fast and Furious” franchise captured it perfectly: “There’s nothing stronger than family.”
“Every once in a while, something like this happens and (it) puts a lot of things into perspective and makes you understand what really is important,” head coach Eric Da Costa said. “One of the cornerstones of our program is family. We talk about it all the time. And then when something like this happens and you see that naturally come to fruition, it makes you feel like you’ve done the right thing.”
And the right thing for Quinnipiac to do was rally. Rally around a teammate who’s devoted his college years to the sport, rally around a player who “wouldn’t hurt a fly,” according to Netzel.
It was a no-brainer for the Bobcats to band together and represent their brother. Not just because they’re good human beings, but because they all play on that pitch. They know what it’s like to step onto the field before the first whistle, take in the atmosphere and think, ‘This is what it’s all about.’
Once someone in their family lost that opportunity, Quinnipiac fought to bring at least a sliver of it back.
That translated through its new pregame practice shirts — navy dri-fit tees with dove white lettering, “WE’RE WITH YOU NICK” on the front. On the back is Cardona’s surname and number, 32.
“We want to show that we’re with him, which is what the shirts say,” Netzell said. “We know that he would have done the same if he was on the other side.”
No one prompted this mini-movement across the team. It wasn’t something to bolster Quinnipiac’s image. It was Cardona’s teammates doing the right thing, and absolutely no one was watching.
“All of our athletic programs are super involved in the community,” Da Costa said. “They do some really great things, some public a lot that are not public, you know, because I think we just do them because we think it’s the right thing to do.”
And it’s not just men’s soccer.
Men’s hockey hung a number 25 jersey on the bench for longtime fan Al Carbone after he lost his battle with cancer.
In collaboration with team IMPACT — an organization that connects children with chronic illnesses and disabilities with college athletics — several teams across Quinnipiac ‘recruit’ young kids to the Division I roster.
The Cardona shirts aren’t revolutionary, bringing kids on the turf before a game isn’t something transformative. Many universities do the same.
But these acts of kindness remind people of family values, the idea that no matter what happens in life, you’re not alone. And sports isn’t everything, even when we want it to be.
“It reaffirms your culture,” Da Costa said. “You know, it’s something that obviously you don’t want to have to experience, but when you do it checks your character, and it checks your team, your program and you as an individual.”
So where does Quinnipiac go from here? Well, it’s 2-3-1 as of Sept. 23. Then again, that’s not the point. The remaining fall slate could go in either direction for the Bobcats. But at least they have the privilege to touch the ball another day.
Cardona only had one option. Quinnipiac might as well make the season count — maybe not for itself, but for a larger cause.
“You know, there’s some days that we don’t like each other,” Da Costa said. “There’s some days that we get after it, but we tell them … you don’t always like each other, but you do love each other.”
And for anyone with a heart, love seems to have a winning record.
*To abide by FERPA, Cardona’s injury cannot be disclosed
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