The Saint Louis University men's soccer team hosted their second game of the 2017 season Sunday night. Their opponent? Michigan State -- the same team in which they tied with for the NCAA national title 50 years ago.
“Truth be told the game should have never, never been started," said Bill McDermott, Saint Louis University soccer announcer and ’67 team member.
“There was literally ice floating on the field, rain, sleet, snow was coming down sideways," he said.
McDermott was a sophomore on the Billikens' '67 co-national championship team. He joined roughly a dozen other players from the team, along with some from Michigan State's '67 squad, for a reunion at Robert Herman Stadium before the game. All the players were honored at half time.
According to McDermott, the national title game was played December 2, 1967 at Washington University's soccer field. Although the NCAA record book cites weather as the official reason for the game's stoppage, that's only half the story.
“One player slipped and fell as he was running, hit his head on the post and it was just not conducive to playing good soccer," said Gary Rensing, another ’67 team member.
It was, without a doubt, one of the most odd national championship games in NCAA history. But members from both teams still embrace its unique outcome, and each other, five decades later, even as the sport continues to evolve
“It is soccer in particular that should reflect the makeup of society and that is all-inclusive," said McDermott
Even if today’s game is nothing like it was in 1967
“There’s one similarity to the sport today than in 1967, the ball is round," joked McDermott.
