Thursday
July 29, 2010
Women’s soccer beats Bethel in bad weather
Last Saturday, Wildcat Field hosted the Mid-Central College Conference Tournament first round matches for both men’s and women’s soccer. Freshmen forwards Kelsey Johnston and Kylie Dial scored all three goals against seventh seeded Bethel for a 3-0 victory, extending their winning streak to five games.
Friday’s rain, combined with the wet weather of the past several weeks, made for very soggy playing conditions on field.
“The soccer field is in awful shape. Because of the excessive amount of mud on the field, it felt like we were running on sand the entire time; it was exhausting. It was also difficult to control the ball when it rolled into one of the many mud pits spontaneously located on the field,” said Dial.
Despite that, Dial scored in the seventh minute of play and Brittany Smith (jr) was credited with the assist.
“Thankfully, we finished a goal early in the first half and had complete control of the game,” said Dial. Her teammate Amanda Stoller (so) agreed.
“The field was unquestionably a mess Saturday,” said Stoller. “It was difficult to accelerate without slipping in the mud. At times it was tough to judge where the ball would go because it would skid in the mud or stop in the water. Fortunately these conditions did not stop us from winning the game 3-0! We fought through the adversity and came out victorious!”
According to the IWU Athletic Department Web site, IWU has a five game shutout streak, with eleven total shutouts in the season. The last time an opponent registered a goal against the Wildcats was on October 13 in a loss to Marion University.
The soccer team’s next game is this coming weekend in the MCC Tournament Semifinals as they take on Spring Arbor.
“Next week against Spring Arbor will be big; they’re a tough rival, but it’s another opportunity to play for Him and use the talent He’s given us. I am stoked for next week,” said Stoller.
The girl’s soccer team has been blessed with talented young ladies who have the potential to show the opponents what IWU soccer is all about.
“The IWU women’s soccer is a solid program, and by that I mean that we are a very blessed team full of talent. Knowing we have potential to make it to NAIA Nationals is thrilling, but we must take it one game at a time,” said Stoller.
“I’m so grateful to be a part of this team,” said Dial. “I take pride in being a member of this team because it’s such a great group of amazing girls on and off the field, and they push me to be the best player that I can be. I’m so incredibly excited to see how far we can get in the tournament this year.”
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