Sports Editor Chris Weston recently talked to† menís soccer forward Scott Buckwald í10.† Buckwald and the Scots have started† the season flirting with .500, with† a 3-3-1 record their first† six games.
Buckwald was named to the NCAC All-Conference honorable mention list last year after leading the team in goals (7) and points (18).† As a senior captain this year, Buckwald already has four goals and 11 points.
CW: Last year, the team was 6-10-1 after a somewhat undesirable season.† Entering this season as captain, what was your main focus for the team?
SB: To get everyone on the same page, try to build more chemistry.† We had a good recruiting class that came in.† They provide us a lot of depth off the bench so weíre pretty happy with them.† They can give us a lot more options, get everyone healthy, like Josh Manson í10, heís coming back from injury from his ligament tear in his knee.† Heís back now. He gives us a lot more options.† He gives us more subs in the back.
CW: Last season, you were all NCAC honorable mention.† Coming into this year, what were your personal goals?
SB: Do the best I can do, help the teammates out.† Just play, how I usually play.
CW: Much has been said about the scoring drought from last seasonís team.† So far this season, you have already scored 11 goals, and are well on pace to break last seasonís total.† How do you explain the recent success in being able to score?
SB: Like I said, more options.† We got a lot of players who can play well for us.† We have a transfer, Yousef Aliakbar í11, he gives us more options up front.† The freshmen that are coming in are really offensive-minded.† We got Davis Bates í10 and Chris Demoll í11 who can come out for us and be effective.† A lot more experience in general, which I really think is the main thing.
CW: After starting out 2-0-1, you seemed to start slipping, hitting a three game skid.† How did you rebound from that for a 3-0 win against Marietta on Tuesday afternoon?
SB: Like Coach Ford says, its all about who shows up on the day.† We hit a drought.† We lost against Defiance, who we should have done better against, but we just need to get everyone on the same page and fire everyone up.† Itís about who shows up on the day and Tuesday night we showed up and our scoring was there, our defense was there, and as a team we played as a team, thatís whatís important.
CW: Looking ahead a little bit, conference rival Ohio Wesleyan University is ranked third in the country.† Realizing the game is not until mid-October, how will you guys go about preparing for that game?
SB: We usually donít look ahead.† We go game by game, but similar to two years ago we had [Ohio Wesleyan] up 1-0, and they were ranked and everything, and they scored with 39 seconds left in the game.† It was unfortunate but we usually donít look ahead, game by game.† We just play the games as they come.
CW: On Saturday you have a home game against Kenyon.† They are 5-2 so far this season, and beat you guys 1-0 last year in your only meeting.† What is your plan to win in front of the homecoming crowd this weekend?
SB: The atmosphere is going to play a big part.† It is one of our biggest games.† We love beating Kenyon.† Theyíre a great team, weíre a great team, so it is going to be a really good game.† We just have to get everyone fired up on the same page again and hopefully we can have our offense and our defense on like we were against Marietta.