2008 Woodie Awards
Soccer teams show signs of struggle
Men manage 3-3 SLIAC record as women drop first conference match since 2004
By: Erik Zorumski
Issue date: 10/11/07 Section: Sports
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The 2007 Webster University men's soccer season has been anything but predictable. With records shattered, blowout victories and down-to-the-wire crushing defeats, the team has struggled this year to keep its head above water.
Coming off of its recent 11-0 lashing of Eureka College, the Gorloks suffered their second conference loss Oct. 6 against Fontbonne University. The 2-1 defeat puts the team's Saint Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference record at 3-2 and drops its ranking to sixth place.
Junior midfielder Sam Hackett capitalized from 30 yards out in the 10th minute to give Webster an early 1-0 lead, but the Griffins answered back twice late in the same half, sealing the Gorloks' fate.
WU was able to shake off the loss, bouncing back Oct. 7 to defeat Concordia University 4-1. Hackett again scored early in the first half, putting the Gorloks up 1-0, but the team's offense was able to keep the pressure up this time. Senior midfielder Tom Riti capitalized in the 16th minute off of a ball from Hackett, giving the team a 2-0 lead.
Concordia was awarded a penalty kick early in the second half, putting the score at 2-1. In the 65th minute, Hackett connected with junior forward Kevin Fann, who capitalized, widening the lead. The final touch came in the very next minute as senior forward Scott Filla scored unassisted, securing the WU victory.
The two games leave the Gorloks with a 6-5-1 overall record, just over the .500 mark, as they look ahead to their next series of matches.
The team will look to improve its conference record as it faces Principia College at 7 p.m. Oct. 9 at the Anheuser Busch Soccer Park. WU then travels to Blackburn College for a conference match at 2 p.m. on Oct. 13 before returning home to face Maryville University at 7 p.m. on Oct. 18.
WOMEN
The Webster University women's soccer team suffered its first conference loss this season on Oct. 2 at the hands of Maryville University Oct. 2. The 2-1 heartbreaker was Head Coach Luigi Scire's first conference defeat since 2004 and drops the team's St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference ranking to second place, leaving them with a 4-1 record and 12 conference points.
"The team unfortunately came out on the short end," Scire said. "We thought that if we could minimize their chances and create some chances off quick transitions, we'd have a chance to tie and ultimately win the game."
Scire said although the team kept themselves in the game, the missed chances were what did the Gorloks in.
"We had several good opportunities in the second half," Scire said. "One shot hit the post and a few just went wide of the mark. We were down in the second half, (but) the team never stopped fighting."
The sting of the loss was short-lived, as the Gorloks managed to regain their composure, taking the first two games of a three-game homestand over the weekend.
Webster defeated conference foe Fontbonne University Oct. 6 in a 1-0 nail-biter at the Anheuser Busch Soccer Park. The Gorlok defense kept the pressure off of sophomore keeper Jessica Kozeny, allowing only seven shots on goal. The game's only goal came in the 83rd minute as freshman forward Megan Neiderschulte capitalized on a ball from freshman midfielder Christy Capkovic, securing the WU victory.
The success of this latest home stand continued Oct. 7 as the Gorloks iced Concordia University in a 5-0 non-conference shutout. Capkovic recorded a hat-trick, scoring all three of her goals in the second half.
Sophomore forward Kelsey McClure scored the only first half goal, assisted by Neiderschulte. McClure capitalized again, unassisted, early in the second half, and also assisted Capkovic's first goal.
The two wins give the Gorloks an 11-2-0 overall record. The team will finish its homestand at 6 p.m. on Oct. 10 in a conference match against 4-0 Principia College. At noon Oct. 13, WU will travel to Blackburn College to take on the Battlin' Beavers in a vital conference match.
The Gorloks begin another three game home stand at 5 p.m. on Oct. 18, squaring off against Maryville University in a non-conference rematch. WU will host the 0-9 University of Dallas at noon on Oct. 20 in a second non-conference match before facing conference opposition at 5 p.m. on Oct. 24 in a game against Westminster College.
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