Lincoln Plews
Senior Staff Writer
The Wooster men’s soccer team suffered a narrow 2-1 loss to Heidelberg this past weekend.
The Scots began the game with a serious mistake, allowing Heidelberg midfielder Ryan Smith to intercept Wooster’s junior goalkeeper Aaron McKee’s clearance attempt and knock in an open-net goal after only four minutes of play. The game’s next score also came from Heidelberg’s Smith, as he put in his second goal of the day in the 58th minute.
Wooster refused to let the game slip away, however, as George Skelly ’14 dished an assist to Matt Ehrenburg ’16, who knocked one in to put Wooster on the board with their first goal in the 63rd minute.
With the game now in reach, the Scots proceeded to outshoot Heidelberg five to zero in the final 27 minutes. Despite this late barrage, Wooster failed to connect as Heidelberg’s goalie Matthew Stevens saved shot after shot. The comeback attempt fell just short as first-year Ben Deering’s shot with seven seconds left soared over the crossbar to seal Heidelberg’s win.
The Wooster women’s team had a busy schedule this past week, beating Marietta College 3-1 in a mid-week game this past Wednesday, then playing Baldwin Wallace College to a 0-0 tie on Saturday and falling to Ohio Northern University 2-0 on Sunday.
The women’s game against Ohio Northern was of particular note, as the Polar Bears are ranked 18th in Division III in the most recent NSCAA coaches poll.
The Scots battled valiantly in the loss, playing ONU to a 0-0 tie through the first half. However, the Polar Bears struck quickly in the second half, with forward Sandra Thorarensen knocking in their first goal only 48 seconds into the period. The shot came off a deflected pass and snuck in just past the hands of diving Wooster goalkeeper Michele Ring ’13.
The final goal of the game also came from ONU’s Thorarensen, as she put in her second score off a cross from teammate Kristina Klusek in the 54th minute.
The 2-0 final score does not convey Wooster’s many close chances. The Scots’ Erin Davison ’13 and Katherine Tuttle ’15 both had shots deflect off the goalposts, while the team tallied eight total shots.
The women’s game against Baldwin Wallace on Saturday was a true defensive battle, resulting in a double over-time tie. Although Wooster and BW tallied 11 and 14 shots, respectively, neither could beat the keeper.
The Scots’ game against Marietta last Wednesday was a more high-scoring affair, with Crystal Chavez ‘15, Erika Kay ’13 and Paige Piper ’13 each netting goals to lead Wooster to a 3-1 victory over the Pioneers.
Saturday was the first time in history that both the men’s and women’s teams both played games in the turf-covered John P. Papp Stadium.