Oct. 12, 2006

Soccer amidst toughest part of season
John Paul Sekulich
jps001@marietta.edu
Marietta's soccer teams are deep into the season with only OAC games remaining. Head Coach Patrick Holguin feels “the women's team is performing right where he expected.” They are holding their own against the top teams in the conference. Although he is disappointed with the inconsistency of the men's team, he is encouraged by their second-half performance against OAC front-runner, Muskingum College. “They can play against any team in the conference; it's just a matter of putting it together for 90 minutes.”

In the OAC opener on September 30, the Pioneer women took Otterbein to double-overtime, before finally conceding 0-1. They bounced back quickly for a match against Muskingum on October 3 for a 2-0 win.

Junior Colby Cardwell and sophomore Jessica Martinez continue to power the offense while freshman goalkeeper Jenna Freeman has been solid on defense, recording her fifth shutout of the season in the win over the Muskies. “Freeman is a great player - she's one the reasons why our team is doing so well,” remarks Holguin.

The men's team has struggled early in the season with a tough schedule. They posted a 7-1 blowout win against Thiel College in the consolation round of the Lion Challenge Tournament, hosted by Penn State - Altoona (9/9-9/10). They also shut down Bluffton on the road (9/23).

However, the Pioneer men have been on the losing end of close overtime matches against non-conference teams Albright (Pa) in the Lion Challenge Tournament and Wooster (9/12). OAC play began September 30 with a 0-1 loss against Otterbein and a 1-3 loss to Muskingum.

The Pioneers found a star in freshman Kyle Muth, who leads the Pioneers with six goals. Junior Joel Nau is second on the team with four.

Both teams hit the road as they continue conference play against Ohio Northern (October 7) and Mount Union (October 11). They return to Marietta Field for Homecoming matches against Baldwin Wallace on October 14. The women's game begins at 1pm and the men's kickoff is at 3pm.