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Men’s soccer team on a roll
Junior Bryce Carpenter covered Centre’s homecoming men’s soccer match Oct. 26. Carpenter is a staff writer and columnist for Centre’s student newspaper, the Cento.
RELEASED: Oct. 31, 2002
DANVILLE, KY—Homecoming weekend always brings nostalgic alumni and high quality sports matchups to Centre students.
The Centre College soccer sports complex housed quite a thriller to all its coffee/hot-chocolate chugging viewers in an Oct. 26 men’s soccer match as the Colonels downed Illinois Wesleyan 3-1.
Illinois Wesleyan ventured on campus with the tough task of facing the nationally ranked Colonels, 10th in the nation in the NSCAA rankings. Although Centre has won five of its past six matches, the Colonels had not been playing its best soccer of the season the past couple of games. That was to change on this day.
Defensive star Jeff Carrier was given the starting nod in a classy move by head coach Jeb Burch, allowing Carrier one final hurrah before the homecoming crowd. The move was a precursor to the game that would unfold.
Carrier has missed the season because of an injury he suffered while playing this summer. He was an All-America candidate heading into the season. He started the game, then quickly came out as play began.
In the 25th minute, senior John Pinard scored on an unorthodox throw-in goal after his touch squirted through the masses and into the back of the net. A late first-half goal by Illinois Wesleyan brought the visitors even entering halftime. This left a bad taste in the Colonels’ mouth, consequently sparking a second-half rally.
Four minutes into the second half junior Dave Hewitt scored off an excellent pass from Josh Haines, giving the Colonels a 2-1 edge. Led by sophomore Stan Simek and junior goalkeeper Jacob Sither, Centre’s defensive play was spectacular, holding Illinois Wesleyan scoreless during the second half.
Centre’s midfielders and forwards looked on the same page as they worked the ball around the offensive third much better than their first half showing. The game was put out of reach for Wesleyan when Pinard, in his only second start of the season, received a pass on a breakaway, and placed an excellent ball around the overextended Wesleyan goalkeeper with four minutes to play.
The men’s team has had many exciting games throughout the fall season, but this one was the highlight.
Centre’s vaunted student cheering section brought chairs to line the sideline, and the alumni descended upon the stands and parking lot as if they never graduated.
The Colonels (13-1-1) hit the road this weekend, matching up against national powerhouse Trinity in a bid to make post-season play. Trinity (14-0-1) is the No. 1-ranked NCAA Division III team in the country.
To learn more on the men’s soccer team, go to http://www.centre.edu/web/sports/Men_Soccer/index.html.
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