2007 News

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The last set of 2007 men's and women's soccer postseason awards has been released, and once again the Wittenberg Tigers collected more than their fair share of accolades. A total of nine Wittenberg soccer student-athletes earned NCAA Division III All-Ohio awards from the Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association (OCSA).

For the first time in more than a decade, Wittenberg University is home to an All-American soccer player. It wasn't just one player who broke through, however - an unprecedented one-year total of three standouts from the men's and women's teams earned national honors from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).

One of the most successful fall sports seasons in Wittenberg history was capped by a tremendous haul of postseason awards from the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC).

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Wittenberg junior Matt Borland and Allegheny senior Eric Sloan have been named Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year to highlight the 2007 All-North Coast Athletic Conference men's soccer selections. Borland was joined on the All-NCAC first team by teammates Shane Price and Ben McAnnis-Entenman.

It would be difficult to put together a more balanced stats box than the one Wittenberg and Ohio Wesleyan produced in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) semifinals. When the dust had cleared, however, the Tigers were on the short end of a 5-3 shootout and likely saw their 2007 season end with a 0-0 tie at Ohio Wesleyan.

The Wittenberg Tigers rounded out one of the best regular seasons in school history on a down note Friday, losing 2-0 at Ohio Wesleyan, a 2006 NCAA Division III Tournament semifinalist.

The Wittenberg University men's soccer team is now assured of its second appearance in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament in program history. With a dominant win over Wabash, the Tigers guaranteed themselves one of the top three seeds in the postseason, which begins Wednesday, Oct. 31. After Wednesday's action, Kenyon and Wittenberg are tied atop the conference standings, one point ahead of third-place Ohio Wesleyan.

Just when it seemed Shane Price (Minford, Ohio/Minford) could not outdo himself, he tried to do it again. Price scored both goals in a 2-0 homecoming defeat of the Allegheny Gators, bringing him to five goals in the last two games.

It may be no coincidence that on the same day the Wittenberg men's soccer team fell off the national rankings, the Tigers opened up against Earlham and hauled off for four goals - their second-highest total of the season - while holding the Quakers to one to dominate a late-season conference game. The team made its point loud clear, letting the collegiate soccer world know that it does not intend on being forced out of the hunt for the postseason.

The Wittenberg Tiger men's soccer team had plenty of momentum heading into conference play this season. But they stumbled in a trip to Oberlin, giving up their first conference loss of the season to the Yeomen by a score of 1-2.

In what was arguably the conference game of the night for men's soccer in the North Coast Athletic Conference, Kenyon and Wittenberg left fans wondering who the better team is following a two-overtime draw. Defense won out on both sides as neither team scored in any period.

Anyone who's watched a Wittenberg men's soccer practice in the dog days of summer can tell you that the Tigers are very well-conditioned. Saturday night that became very apparent, as hot, humid weather made the trip to Edwards-Maurer Field a big disappointment for the Big Red of Denison, as they fell 2-0 to a stamina-filled Tiger team.

The Wittenberg University men's soccer team is off to its best start in more than a decade with an 8-2-1 record, and voters in the weekly National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division III poll have taken notice. The Tigers broke into the Oct. 2 poll at No. 16, the highest ranking in program history.

On a day filled with black and gold on Wittenberg's campus, tensions are bound to rise. North Coast Athletic Conference men's soccer powerhouses Wooster and Wittenberg clashed on the pitch for one of the most physical, aggressive, and entertaining games of the season to date.

The Wittenberg Tigers have been known for balanced play in the 2007 season. Wednesday against Muskingum, the defense threw its weight around a bit, with the offense retaliating with two goals to keep the balance in check and power the Tigers to a 2-0 victory.

If anyone ever told the Wittenberg Tigers that the ends justify the means, they certainly took that to heart. On a strange Saturday, the Tigers contributed to all three goals in a 2-1 win over Hiram, which took one overtime to finally end.