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RICHMOND, Ind. - After a tough loss on Saturday at Kenyon, the self-proclaimed Tiger-Penguins looked to turn things back in the right direction. They did just that with a hard-fought 1-0 win at Earlham.
The Tigers, who moved up to sixth in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) rankings and first in the NSCAA Great Lakes Region poll, came out full speed at Earlham. Just one minute into the game, the Tigers got their first attempt at goal as senior Matt Borland (Kettering, Ohio/Alter) hit a shot on target, although straight at the keeper's hands.
Wittenberg continued to give the Quaker defense problems but could not find the goal until junior Brian Glenn (Lewis Center, Ohio/Olentangy) headed in a cross by Borland in the 33rd minute. The Tigers, who improved to 14-1 overall and 5-1 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC), continued to pressure Earlham's defense, outshooting the host team, 10-2, in the first half, although Wittenberg never again found the back of the opposing goal.
In the second half, the Tigers continued to pressure early with many balls being played across Earlham's goal that were only left lacking a teammates' finishing header. The Quaker defense held up well, and the Quakers even managed to counter with four shots on Wittenberg freshman goalkeeper Michael Lambeck (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman) in the second half. In the end, Wittenberg's defense did its job to come away with a fifth shutout on the 2008 season. Senior defender Anthony Cain (Hilliard, Ohio/Darby) led the way for a revamped Tiger defense after injuries to two starters in the last two weeks.
The Tigers, who are tied for second place in the NCAC, face conference rival Denison on the road at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25.
Written By: Brenton Dawson