Early in the season, it looked as if the menís soccer team was going to prove the critics wrong, scoring seven goals through four games on pace to a 2-1-1 record.† However, this flash of brilliance seemed to last as long as Paris Hiltonís singing career.
Donít worry, this tale has a silver lining.
The Fighting Scots lost to the Oberlin College Yeomen 4-1 in a game very telling of this season.† The Scots looked outmatched from the get go, allowing Oberlin senior Skyler Dum to score two goals in the first 23 minutes of play.† One was on a defensive foul committed just outside the goal box, granting Dum a free kick.† The other was five minutes later, as Dum broke away from the Wooster defense, giving himself a shot on goal.† Karl Ruter í10 had an opportunity to make up some ground with a penalty shot, but was foiled by the keeper.
In the second half, Dum was back at it, scoring two goals in the 57th and 58th minutes, giving the Yeomen a 4-0 lead.† The only bright spot came for the Scots in the 87th minute, when Davis Bates í10 scored his first goal of the season off of a Ruter assist.
What was most disappointing about this game was that it continued to highlight the negative aspects of the Scotsí season up until that point.† The Scots had almost as many opportunities to score as the Yeoman (12 shots for Oberlin versus Woosterís 10), yet were far less accurate, as the score dictates.† Even more, in a game when Taylor Takacs í12, the NCAC leader in saves, added nine more to his total, the Scotsí defenders continued to allow Dum to take shots on goal, even when he was the only one scoring.
But, as we recently learned from the Detroit Lions, everyone wins sooner or later.† In their second to last game of the season, the Scots battled back against the Allegheny College Gators, winning 2-1 in front of the home crowd.† With 15 seconds remaining in a tied game, Ruter scored on a free kick to secure the Scotsí first NCAC victory of the season.
The Scots set out to finish their season on the road against the Denison University Big Red on Saturday.