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The Wittenberg men's soccer team is coming off a loss to nationally ranked and unbeaten Ohio Wesleyan on Tuesday, but the Tigers remain in control of their own destiny as the 2005 season moves toward its conclusion.
Despite a rash of injuries, the Tigers have put themselves into position to finish in the top four in the North Coast Athletic Conference and reach the postseason tournament for the first time since its inception in 2000. A key game will be on Saturday as the Tigers host another contender, Allegheny, an NCAA Division III Tournament Round of 16 participant a year ago. Wittenberg stands 6-4-3 overall and 3-1 in the NCAC with five games remaining over the final two weeks of the regular season. It typically takes at least five wins to get into the NCAC Tournament, sometimes more.
Wittenberg's leading scorer is freshman midfielder Matt Borland (Kettering, Ohio/Alter), who ranks the NCAC's best with 17 total points and six goals, including a pair of game-winners. His five assists are also tops on the team. Thirteen players have recorded either a goal or an assist this season, including freshman Anthony Cain (Hilliard, Ohio/Darby), who had a pair of assists in a 2-1 win at Oberlin last Saturday. Borland had the game-winner in that one as the Tigers rallied from an early 1-0 deficit.