The Highlanders concluded their excellent 2017 season after today's 4-2 loss to Centenary University knocked Cairn out of the CSAC playoffs.
 
Both teams began the game tentatively, seeking a goal but not wanting to concede the ever important first lead of the game. The Cyclones got on the board first in the 17^th minute when a corner kick was batted around in the center of the box, eventually falling to Jared Miele who slotted a shot into the bottom corner of the net. The next twenty minutes passed without incident as Cairn sought the equalizer. The final 5 minutes of the first half made up for the relative inactivity of the first 40 as the floodgates opened and both teams barraged the opposing net with shots. First to get on the board in this goal brigade was sophomore Brett Kikendall. Brendan Keller beat his defender down the sideline and found Kikendall in the middle where the midfielder promptly deposited the ball past Centenary's keeper to level things for the Highlanders. Cairn's glory was short-lived as the Cyclones answered with a goal of their own a minute and a half later to take the lead, and another thirty seconds later Daisuke Suzuki netted a spectacular volley to put the Cyclones up 3-1 before the end of the first half.
 
Sitting two goals down, the Highlanders pushed forward in the second half; relying on an offside trap to gain the biggest offensive advantage. Despite Cairn's best efforts Centenary held strong nearly the entire second half, and added one more insurance goal in the 67^th when Daniel Lamanna ran unfettered through the middle of the pitch and fired home past keeper Grant Grogan. Cairn's recently named 2^nd Team All-CSAC performers linked up once more in the 74^th when Keller found Kikendall for their respective 2^nd assist and goal of the match. The Highlanders fought to the very end, but were simply too far behind to overtake Centenary, dropping their first playoff match 4-2.
 
Cairn's loss places their record at an even 9-9, a mark that belies the true success of the 2017 season. At the highest high, the Highlanders won 6 straight and sat firmly atop the CSAC standings. The Highlanders can end the season with unlimited optimism thanks to continued standout performances from offensive stalwarts Kikendall and Keller, excellent defending from Tyler Smith, Kenneth Mercadante, and Paul Franco, and fantastic rookie campaigns from the freshman tandem of Ryan Leatherman and Brandon Hasko. While Cairn will lose a couple key pieces, what is lost after this season is far outreached by the confidence gained by knowing that the Highlanders are in fact talented enough to lead the CSAC. Coach Gibson and his Highlanders will assuredly take this success and use it to catapult the program in the upcoming years. Stay tuned.