ONU Men's Soccer Back on Track!

    Over the past weekend, the Polar Bears took a trip to Chicago to play two games against two solid nationally ranked opponents. The weekend started with North Central, which was a tough game for the boys, dropping a tough loss 3-1. After the game, the team was struggling to come together to figure out the issue that was going on for the past few games. The boys had to have a short-term memory because there was another game to be played the very next day against a similar opponent in North Park. North Park had a lot of anticipation before the kick-off considering we knocked them out of the NCAA tournament last year. We knew it was going to be a physical game with lots of ups and downs for both sides. The game was level at 1-1 for most of the game until in the last four minutes of the game Junior center back Nolan Schirmer was able to put the Polar Bears ahead 2-1 with a goal from a cross. The final whistle blew, and all the boys erupted with relief. This was the bounce back we truly needed. Soccer seasons are all about momentum and how we can weather the storm each game and grind out a result to keep the momentum going. With OAC season right around the corner, this was a huge steppingstone for us as we marched towards our end of season goals. The boys had a solid week of training Monday and Tuesday to prepare for another tough matchup on today against Trine University.
The team was locked in during the game and eager for another win to grow their momentum. Last season, Trine came to Ada and the result was 1-1. We were not happy with that result. We were clearly the better side, and it was an intense, and chippy contest. This year was different. The Polar Bears came out swinging in the first half with multiple shots early to test the goalkeeper. As the halftime whistle blew, it was 0-0. The team remained calm and composed because we knew we were the better side yet again and we were going to find a way to win. That ambition ultimately rewarded us with a goal midway through the second half with a goal by Sophomore midfielder Alex Shaffer. The team was amped up to see the first goal get punched in. We knew we had the lead, and we were determined to keep that lead. Then finally, our lead grew to 2-0 as Junior winger Ryan Sommerfeld was able to bury a shot inside the penalty box to put the game to bed in the closing minutes of the game. This win was another huge momentum builder for our season getting ever so closer to OAC season. The Polar Bears face off next against a well-disciplined Rose-Hulman side this Saturday to hopefully keep the three-game win streak and momentum alive. 

Go Bears!



 


 

 



Comments

  1. Nate HeckerSeptember 21, 2023 at 10:28 AM

    Great bounce back from the boys after a tough middle stretch in the non-conference schedule! Excited to see how they keep going the rest of the season.

    ReplyDelete

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