Dwyer continuing TJC soccer legacy

Published 10:02 pm Monday, November 25, 2013

While Tyler Junior College was battling Iowa Western in an attempt to capture its fourth national title in five years on a frigid Saturday evening, one of the Apaches favorite sons was in a battle of his own to reach the MLS Cup.

Dom Dwyer, a forward for Sporting Kansas City, was engaged in the second leg of their Eastern Conference Semifinal and had just given up a goal to their playoff nemesis, the Houston Dynamo.

The Dynamo had knocked Sporting KC out of the playoffs the past two seasons and were well on their way to doing it again.

Meanwhile, TJC had struck first against Iowa Western.

Sporting KC grabbed an equalizer, almost immediately to put the teams back on equal footing. Meanwhile, Iowa Western tied the NJCAA Men’s Division I championship match midway through the second half.

While Iowa Western and TJC battled through two overtimes with the match eventually ending in a penalty shootout that the Apaches lost, Sporting KC was turning up the pressure at Sporting Park, looking to grab a game-winning goal that would push Kansas City into the MLS Cup.

In the 63rd minute, Benny Feilhaber played a perfect through ball into Dwyer, who while racing in was able to control, cut back and fire past the Houston keeper Tally Hall at the near post.

“That was one of the classier goals you’ll see,” Hall told the Associated Press after the match. “His cut and finish made for one of the better goals I’ve seen this year.”

That goal, Dwyer’s third of the season, turned out to be the match winner.

It didn’t surprise TJC coach Steve Clements, who grew accustomed to seeing Dwyer hit the back of the net on a regular basis for the Apaches.

It took the sting a little away from TJC finishing as runner-up.

“What great timing. We had just lost and then you find out (that he’d scored the game-winning goal),” Clements said. “We are so proud of him.”

Dwyer certainly left his mark on TJC. In two years, the London, England product scored 52 goals and two national championships (2009, 10).

After that Dwyer went on to South Florida where he led the Bulls to the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament before being selected in the first round of the MLS Draft by Sporting KC.

It has taken a little while for Dwyer to break in. In his first season with Sporting, he got on the pitch twice as a sub, registering one shot.

But this year, Dwyer regularly appeared for KC as a sub while working his way into the starting lineup. He managed two goals before providing his all-important third one that has now put KC one win away from its first MLS Championship.

“We didn’t panic,” Dwyer said to the AP after the match. “We kept on doing what we do, and we got the result we wanted. We’re happy right now, but we’re very much focused on two weeks’ time. We’re going to enjoy it, and it’s extra motivation to have MLS Cup at home.”

Sporting KC plays Real Salt Lake on Dec. 7 (3 p.m.).

Dwyer is just one of many Apache soccer players to go on and shine at the next level.

The Fab 4 if you will are Dwyer, Brenton Griffiths, David Somma and Roger DeCosta. Griffiths was drafted in 2013 by the Colorado Rapids; Somma and DeCosta both have been inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame (Somma in 2011 and DeCosta in 2012).

Somma is currently a member of Leeds United of the English Championship (First Division). DeCosta is playing for the top professional league in South Africa.

But those are just four of the near 100 players who donned the Apaches’ white and black kit for Clements and went on to four-year universities.

Clements said TJC’s success is a product of a strong university and opportunity that soccer teenagers around the world want to take advantage of.

Clements around the world kids are plucked as youth players and those who do not show enough promise or haven’t grown fast enough are sometimes passed over.

TJC gives those “late bloomers” an opportunity to display their talents and be seen.

“Soccer is a small world and people know what is going on in that small world (and word has spread about TJC),” Clements said. “Guys who are 16 can come here and play soccer and go to school. The great thing about all of these guys is they are doing well in school too.”

The word is out about TJC and soccer players from around the world are answering the call and anxious to add to an already overflowing trophy case. This season alone, the Apaches roster featured players from Wales, Liverpool, South Africa; and also New York, Florida, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Colorado, Iowa — and yes, also Texas.

In two weeks Dwyer will add one more thing to the Apache legacy — it’s first MLS Cup.