ONU Men's Soccer to the "Windy City"

This past weekend for the Polar Bears was not the way we wanted it to go. Friday Sept. 8th, the boys faced off against a strong Calvin side. It was a hard-fought game and unfortunately Calvin came out with the win with a goal in the second half from a set piece. Despite the tough loss, the team didn't have any time to dwell because we had to set our focus quickly on Colorado College the next day. The Tigers were coming into this game having just defeated the Wilmington Quakers 3-1. It was another hard-fought matchup that was anyone's game. The Tigers were the first to punch in a goal in the first half to take the lead. However, the Polar Bears didn't give up and they were able to equalize quickly after. Although the final score was 1-1, the game was detrimental to the Polar Bears national ranking, as we dropped out of the top 25. 

The squad has little time to reflect on the previous games because it is time to pack our bags for Chicago. The boys have another back-to-back weekend facing off against #20 North Central and #25 North Park. The Polar Bears have been working hard all week to prepare for the upcoming games because it's an opportunity for ONU Men's Soccer to bounce back and jump into the top 25. The squad sets course for Chicago on Thursday Sept. 14th eager to get two crucial wins against two well organized soccer programs. The Polar Bears have set a goal to be nationally ranked throughout the season and make a far run in the NCAA tournament to ultimately win a National Championship. If the boys can secure two wins this weekend, then it will give them the confidence to close out the non-conference and head into the OAC in form. We haven't played against North Central for a few seasons. However, we were able to compete against North Park last season once in the regular season and once in the NCAA tournament. We took a tough loss in the regular season 3-1 on Kerscher. However, we both had great seasons and were able to face off again for a second time in the NCAA tournament. We already knew their playstyle, so it was a matter of executing our game plan and getting revenge. We would go on to advance to the Sweet 16 on penalty kicks. With North Central and North Park having new teams this season, it's the perfect opportunity to travel to their home turf and punch our ticket back into the top 25. The boys must stay positive and focused on the end goal. 

Go Bears!





Comments

  1. Justin BrownSeptember 13, 2023 at 11:42 PM

    Nate,
    Love the positivity throughout the adversity! Wishing you guys luck this weekend and hoping for the best!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Madeline EmerickSeptember 14, 2023 at 10:16 AM

    Keeping the optimism is sure to pay off! Best of luck to the team!

    ReplyDelete

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