The ceremonial cutting of the nets is an annual tradition in college basketball, but 20 years ago in November Stockton’s men’s soccer team borrowed from it to celebrate their Division III national championship.
“That was one of my goals, to cut a net down,” said Jeff Haines, who was the head coach at the time. “My thought was they do it in college basketball, why not do it in soccer?”
Since a soccer net has a lot more loops than a basketball net, Haines let alumni and others associated with the program get in on the act after the Ospreys had captured the school’s first and only national title with a 3-2 win over Redlands in the final at Messiah University in Grantham, Pa.