If the goal was two inches wider, the result would have been different.
Two inches was the difference between almost scoring twice and not scoring at all.
The DePauw men's soccer team remains undefeated, but Wednesday night the team was unable to find the edge over Hanover College. In a dominating performance, the Tigers (4-0-2) tied Hanover (1-2-2) 0-0. DePauw had a strong offensive performance with many scoring chances, but was unable to put one away. Head coach Brad Hauter was frustrated about the tie, but was able to recognize what the team did well.
"It was rough. There were a lot positive things to take from it, we controlled play, we created opportunities, and we had 26 shots with about half of those coming from dangerous places on the field," Hauter said. "There were a lot of positives that when you sit back and look at it from a wide range, you can say 'good job.'"
Despite the 26 shots and many scoring opportunities, including a pair of shots from sophomore Andy Morrison hitting the goalpost, the Tigers were unable to find the back of the net.
"It just wasn't our night," Hauter said. "There wasn't one element that went wrong. It just didn't go our way."
The defense remained strong just as they have throughout this season. The team has now logged 598:57 minutes of not allowing a goal, with five straight shut outs. Senior goalkeeper Tony Halterman was credited with his fourth shutout of the season.
The Tigers open conference play in the North Coast Athletic Conference on Saturday against Denison University. The team is going into conference play unbeaten, but coming off of two ties. Hauter said he is looking forward to this weekend.
"Denison will play a very different style than we have seen in the last four games," Hauter said. "They are going to come at us, open the field up and play. I am excited to kick off this second part of the season in conference play. I am very excited to see how these guys measure up against the rest of the NCAC."
The Tigers, now in their second year in the NCAC, are looking to defend last year's conference championship. Kickoff against Denison is 2:30 p.m. from Boswell Field on Saturday and will be broadcasted live on 91.5 WGRE.