It wasn’t supposed to be like this. After clinching a NESCAC home playoff game last season, Wesleyan men’s soccer was supposed to be ready for the big time. They were certainly ready to show that to their perennial tormenters, the Williams College Ephs.
Instead of the coming-out party they had hoped for, the Cardinals suffered a tough 3-0 loss to the Ephs, due mostly to a bad eleven and a half minutes of play late in the game.
For the first half, the field was covered by a frenzy of defense and strong midfield play from both teams that kept the score knotted at 0-0. However, throughout the scoreless first half, both teams had several scoring chances.
“I thought we played a very strong first half after weather[ing] some pressure early on,” said head coach Geoffrey Wheeler.
The pressure appeared to be mutual, as Williams’ frustration showed when Eph Dan MacGregor picked up a yellow card midway through the first half.
In the second half, defensive miscues led to three unanswered Williams goals. MacGregor opened the scoring in the 60th minute, followed by goals from Pat Huffer and Kit Fuderich. Williams Goaltender Nick Armington had a solid performance and was tested from time to time on corner kicks and shots from the eighteen.
Jamie Hiteshew ’08 got the start in net for the Cardinals and played the entire game in goal, racking up four saves. More importantly, he came off his line several times to knock away corner kicks and stymie several Eph breakaways. He had no chance on any of the second-half goals.
Despite the loss, the Cardinals will attempt to take some positives away from the match. Wesleyan showed it was able to match Williams’ intensity and conditioning, at least for a half. The defense bent but did not break for the first sixty minutes. As always, the sideline contingent was out in full force urging on the Cards and possibly getting inside the heads of a few Williams players.
Wesleyan held the slight edge in shots 15-14, with seven of those coming from Peter Glidden ’07. Williams scored on its only three shots on goal in the second half.
“We created some excellent scoring chances and certainly had our share of the ball,” Wheeler said. “I think the mistakes we made are all correctable, so I know we’ll be ready for the Springfield game on Wednesday.”
The team echoed the coach’s view that the game was not nearly as lopsided as the score.
“In the second half, we had some mental breakdowns, and in soccer, a few mistakes can make all the difference. Williams is a good team, and they capitalized on our mistakes,” said Co-captain Kevin Lohela ’06.
Before the game, much of Wesleyan’s concern was focused on Williams forward Brett Olsen. However, he had a quiet game, assisting on Huffer’s goal, but seeming at times overly cautious and out of sync. He left the game in the second half after a strong tackle.
The play of Alan Ashenfelter ’09 for the Cardinals was a nice surprise, getting the nod at outside fullback. He played well all-around, consistently getting the ball up to the forwards and registering two shots, one on goal.
Rounding out the defensive unit were David Baharestani ’07, Chris Keeler ’07, and Justin Mello ’08, with Ross Pemmerl ’08 coming in as a second-half sub.
Julian Canzoneri ’07 was moved to midfield after playing in the back most of last season. He, Lohela, Glidden, Zach Steinberg ’08, and co-captain Noah Isaacs ’06 moved the ball nicely throughout the game and won many balls in the midfield.
Jared Ashe ’07 started up top, threatening near the goal line several times. His workload was shared with Brandon Smith ’08, Mike Walker ’08, Morgan Owen ’07, and Chris Brown ’07, all of whom came off the bench.
While the mood was somber in the stands after the game, the loss was not devastating to the team.
“You win some, you lose some,” said Brown.
The crowd remained raucous and energetic, yet refined throughout. Brett Olsen and Dan MacGregor were frequent targets, but the Cardinal platoon avoided the foul language that has aroused complaints in the past. The few Williams fans that braved the Birdcage could be seen clapping lightly after goals and remarking how they wished that their sons had picked such a fine institution as Wesleyan.
Overall, the Cardinals were happy with their performance. For parts, they possessed the ball well, worked a balanced attack, and did not shy away from firing shots at the net. The new starters for this year showed excellent promise and Hiteshew played well in the net.
Wesleyan’s next game is Wednesday at home against Springfield College at 4:30 p.m., a game the Cardinals will need to take if they hope to reassert their status in the NESCAC.
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