Looking back on the first six games of the 2008 men’s soccer season, the only word that comes to mind is unpredictability.
Starting out, the team held immense expectations due primarily to the amount of veteran talent they possessed. After losing two in a row on the road to Aurora and Heidelberg, however, the early season outlook was not a rosy one.
The following week, searching for redemption, the Scots returned home to Carl Dale Field for a pair of games, the first resulting in a tie against Marietta and the second being an overwhelming 4-0 victory against the pitiful Defiance College Blue Jackets. Hoping to carry over the momentum from the Defiance blowout and find some sense of successful stability, the Scots traveled to Otterbein this past Wednesday in an effort to secure their first road win of the season. Entering the game with a season record of 1-2, the Cardinals seemed to be the perfect team for the Scots to play to continue on their winning ways. How unpredictable this season has been, though.
For Wooster’s visit to Otterbein, the defensive efforts of both squads were the star attractions of the game, clearly portrayed by a scoreless first half in which the two teams were only able to record an anemic ten shots on goal combined.
The offensive drought which plagued the contest would not last forever as less than 10 minutes into the second half Otterbein was finally able to get past the seemingly invincible Wooster backfield, scoring in the 54th minute to make the count 1-0 in favor of the hosting Cardinals. The Otterbein goal came as the result of a Cardinals corner kick into the box by first-year midfielder Greg Atkinson, where fellow midfielder Byron Horton was waiting to head the ball in past the Scot’s goal keeper, Jordan O’Boyle ’11.
The second half goal proved to be all the scoring Otterbein would need to defeat the offensively stagnant Scots, as Wooster was not able to build any sort of attack on net, recording a slim four shots on goal over the entirety of the game.
With the fear of another potential losing streak looming over the disheartened Scots, Wooster returned home last Saturday to take on the unbeaten Blue Streaks of John Carroll University. Much as they had against Otterbein, the Scots’ first half was marred by an utter lack of offense, trailing early following a goal by Blue Streaks senior midfielder Louis Kastelic during the 27th minute.
The stage was set for another Wooster defeat and a start to the team’s second losing streak of the young season, but this team is anything but boring and predictable. The Scots’ offense made an appearance for the first time in a game and a half when senior midfielder Nate Florian ’09 kicked in his first career during the 49th minute. The game’s momentum swayed greatly throughout the second half, until a Wooster corner kick by senior midfielder Brenton Allen ’09 wound up in front of Scots junior forward Davis Bates ’10 for the go-ahead goal.
With little time left, John Carroll was unable to tie the game, giving the Scots their second home win.
The team sustained their winning streak on Wednesday as the team triumphed over Muskingum College. Brian Holmes ’11 kicked through the go-ahead goal for the Scots, who improved to 3-3-1 on the season and notched their first road win.
The team plans to keep opponents guessing the rest of the way. Tomorrow, the team plays in its first conference game of the season against Wabash College at home as part of family weekend. The team is undefeated at home thus far this season. On Tuesday, the team has yet another home game, this time against Case Western Reserve University. The team will look to pick up its second road victory of the season against Kenyon College next Saturday, Sept. 27.