Wittenberg University Men's Soccer Hosts Annual Invitational Tournament

Senior Declan McBride leads the Tigers into their home opening Wittenberg Invitational Sept. 10-11.

Springfield, Ohio — The Wittenberg University men's soccer team kicks off the home portion of its 2011 season as Head Coach Steve Dawson welcomes three outstanding teams to Edwards-Maurer Field for the annual Wittenberg Invitational Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 10 and 11.

The University of Mount Union, Otterbein University and Kenyon College will join the host Tigers in this year's Wittenberg Invitational. Two games will be played on both days, starting with a contest between Wittenberg and Mount Union at 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10. Otterbein and Kenyon will square off at 6:30 p.m. that day. On Sunday, Sept. 11, Mount Union and Kenyon will play at 3:30 p.m., followed by Wittenberg and Otterbein at 6 p.m.

Wittenberg is coming off a 5-10-3 season in 2010, and the Tigers were picked to finish eighth in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) this year. Wittenberg is 1-1-0 in the early going of the 2011 season after splitting a pair of games at the Defiance Classic last weekend. The Tigers' game at Thomas More College on Tuesday, Sept. 6, was played as a scrimmage due to the absence of two of the three officials assigned to the game.

Mount Union is off to a 3-0-0 start in 2011 after winning a pair of games at the Lycoming Tournament and then adding a 3-0 win over Westminster on Wednesday, Sept. 7. Otterbein is 1-1 in the early going after splitting a pair of games at the Carnegie Mellon Invitational on the season's opening weekend. Kenyon, one of the favorites in the NCAC again this year, dropped its first two games of the 2011 season to visiting Capital University and Hope College last weekend.

Steve Dawson is in his 29th season as Wittenberg's men's soccer head coach with a career record of 274-207-34. He ranks among the top 40 in NCAA Division III all-time coaching victories.

In addition, the Tiger women's soccer team will be in action both days, also at Edwards-Maurer Field. On Saturday, the Tigers will square off with Adrian at 1 p.m. and on Sunday the opponent will be nationally ranked Illinois Wesleyan at noon.

Written By: Ryan Maurer
Photo By: Erin Pence

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