The 1974 Howard men’s soccer team, self-dubbed the “best soccer team in NCAA history,” was honored for the 50th anniversary of their national championship win last week in the Armour J. Blackburn University Center ballroom.
The Bison remain the only HBCU team to win an NCAA national championship and the only men’s soccer team to go undefeated and untied, boasting a record of 19-0-0. This championship win marked the end of the team’s road to redemption, as they had to win a championship twice to get credit for one.
The Bison’s championship win came just two years after their 1971 national title was stripped due to eligibility issues including a 1.6 rule violation, an amateurism violation and a five-year eligibility violation.
Outscoring their opponents 63-6 throughout the 1974 season, the team capped off their dominant run with a 2-1 win over St. Louis in a rematch of the ‘71 championship match.
Throughout the night of the anniversary celebration, several speakers, including then-head coach Lincoln Phillips, ‘74 team captain Ian Bain and other former team members took the stage not only to recognize the feats of the ‘74 team but also to advocate for the remembrance and immortalization of the 1971 team.
Keynote speaker Shaka Hislop, who played soccer at Howard from 1987 to 1991 before pursuing a professional career as a player and then analyst, believes the circumstances the ‘71 team faced were a part of a necessary evil.
“I believe that the injustices that [the 1971] team were subject to [are] the perfect context for what happened three years later,” Hislop told The Hilltop. “When you put it in the bigger perspective of this university and why it was founded, despite injustices, we as a people always find a way back.”
This year’s men’s and women’s soccer teams watched as the 1974 team was presented with championship rings and jackets at the celebration dinner. Coach Phillips requested a permanent monument to commemorate the accomplishments of both teams.
“To the city of Washington D.C., the African American History Museum and others… These teams deserve something. Not only being the first to accomplish what they did, but because it has not since been replicated,” Phillips said.
Trevor Leiba, starting goalkeeper for the 1974 championship team, was appreciative of the large celebration but would like to see Howard do more in terms of a permanent reminder of their win.
“This big celebration was great, really. But in two to three weeks, it won’t be remembered by people who weren’t a part of it,” he said. “I would like to see them put up a sign outside the field remembering our team. They used to have one, and I really want to see another one.”
Personnel from the ‘74 team attended and were honored at a home match earlier that day. The Bison lost to Mercyhurst, bringing their record to 2-10-3. Their struggles are not contained to this season, as the men’s team is currently 9-44-9 over the past four seasons.
Leiba acknowledged different challenges Howard soccer faces now, referencing the comparative rarity of top recruits choosing to come to the university.
“We used to get a lot of national team guys out of the Caribbean. Now, it’s harder to get guys from the Caribbean, and even Black Americans to come to Howard because of poaching from larger schools,” Leiba said.
Being in the presence of a high-level Howard team made an impression on the current Bison. Junior forward Christian Rufael was inspired by the championship team’s mindset and hopes to see it trickle down to the 2024 team.
“The biggest thing is their confidence,” he said. “They were a really dominant team back in their time, and I feel like as a team we have a lot of skill, but what we need to finish the season is confidence. If we can reciprocate that, the sky’s the limit.”
Copy edited by Jalyn Lovelady
