Matt Berry

The Wittenberg men's soccer team enters 2004 hoping for a turnaround. After 15 straight non-losing seasons, the Tigers have struggled with injuries and a very challenging annual schedule en route to back-to-back losing seasons the last two years.

Hopefully all of the close calls, including 14 one-goal defeats the last two years, will help this year's team turn the corner. First, many players on the roster have been through the grind of a full collegiate season and know what it takes to pull out wins in such close contests. Second, Head Coach Steve Dawson has high hopes that his players are hungry to put such disappointments in their rearview mirror.

The strength of the 2004 team may well be in goal, despite the fact that there are no upperclassmen on the team in that area. Sophomore Adam Horrocks (Delaware, Ohio/Hayes) saw the majority of the playing time a year ago, and he figures to be first in line again in 2004. He will be pushed, however, by talented freshmen Ben McAnnis-Entenman (Portland, Ore./Cleveland) and Jared Coppock (Middletown, Ohio/Middletown).

Protecting the goal is always key, and the Tigers are quite green in that area. Gone are several letterwinners, including four-year starters Steve Doring, Tim Fogler and Greg Zeller. In their place, only junior Levi Van Reeth (Norwich, Ohio/John Glenn)and sophomore Nick Hauff (Delaware, Ohio/Hayes) are returning letterwinners. Joining them in the defensive backfield are freshmen Joe Zeller (Springfield, Ohio/North), Travis Holder (New Carlisle, Ohio/Northwestern) and Dan Vincent (Cincinnati, Ohio/Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy), sophomores Jim Martin (Moon Twp., Pa./Moon Area), Marcel Van Gils (Cincinnati, Ohio/Summit Country Day), Josh Richards (Milford, Ohio/McNicholas) and Kenny Proops (Charleston, W.Va./Catholic)and junior Brady Hively (Baltimore, Ohio/St. Charles).

Levi Van Reeth

In the midfield, several letterwinners are back in the fold, starting with junior captain Matt Berry, who ranked second on the team in scoring a year ago with 14 points. Junior Jesse King is already a two-year starter, while sophomores Sebastian Missura (Quito, Ecuador/American School), Eduardo Missura (Quito, Ecuador/American School) and Ian Acker (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) all lettered a year ago. Sebastian Missura led the Tigers in scoring with 19 points, including nine goals, and he earned All-NCAC honors. They will be joined in the midfield in 2004 by freshmen Ken Njihia (Nairobi, Kenya),Mark Lintern (Mansfield, Ohio/Senior)and Bryan Lopes (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman)and sophomores Will Damsel (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) andAndre Lozano (Danville, Ky./Boyle County) and junior Joe Schmees (Loveland, Ohio/Milford).

Up front, the Tigers bring three letterwinners back in sophomores Jason Sucher (Louisville, Ky./duPont Manual), who tied for the team lead with four assists despite playing in just seven games in 2003, Brian Mutton (Fort Wayne, Ind./Canterbury) and David Ross (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington). They will be joined at the forward spots by senior Jason Ziegler (Waukesha, Wisc./West), junior Isaac Boye-Arthur (Tema, Ghana/St. Peter's Secondary) and freshmanEvan Ingram (Columbus, Ohio/Watterson).