Men’s Soccer- Finding a Way To Beat Ohio Wesleyan
Much like the men’s tennis program struggles with Kenyon, men’s soccer has had a recurring problem with Ohio Wesleyan in conference.
In the 2013 semifinals, the Battling Bishops defeated the Tigers in PKs. Last season, DePauw was handed another loss by OWU in the conference semifinals. While beating Ohio Wesleyan would be a huge motivator, the Tigers don’t intend to lose focus of the rest of their schedule.
“OWU, no matter how you shape it as a coach, is a big target,” said head coach Brad Hauter. “Our focus is not to treat them like every other team but rather to treat every other team with the same high energy and focus.”
With a strong senior core returning, there’s no doubt the Tigers have the talent to overcome the hurdle and advance to the conference championship. Like it is for so many teams, it would be an issue of mentality that holds the program back.
Key Returning Players:
- Senior Forward Adrian Ables (3 goals, 3 assists, 13 shots on goal)
- Sophomore Forward Julian Gonzalez (11 goals, 4 assists, 26 shots on goal)
- Senior Goalie Chris Yount (16 saves, Save %: .800%)
Best Case Scenario: The Tigers defeat Ohio Wesleyan during the regular season, giving them the mental edge they need heading into conference. The two programs meet again in the semifinals and DePauw takes the next step in knocking out the Battling Bishops. From there, the Tigers go on to win the championship.
Worst Case Scenario: Like in past seasons, the Tigers struggle against OWU during the regular season. In the conference semifinals, the two teams meet for the third straight time. In a game that comes down to the final minute, DePauw once again is unable to finish the deal, and bows out for a disappointing finish.
Women’s Soccer- Avoiding Early Season Struggles
Last season did not begin well for the Tigers. They went 1-4 through their first five non-conference games. Nevertheless, their 3-2-2 record in conference kept them in contention for a spot in the tournament up until the very last game of the season against Denison, to whom they lost 3-2.
But optimism surrounds the program as seven seniors are returning to the team, including defenders Meredith Schoenfeld and Alyson Marzonie, midfielder Caroline Zadina and forward Megan Learn.
“In that senior class, there’s a tremendous amount of leadership on the field in the way that they play--also off the field with their personalities and their ability to sort of motivate their teammates and hold them accountable,” said head coach Megan McCormick.
The team’s main goal consists of making it to the first round of the NCAA tournament. There are two ways of doing this, which are either winning the Conference tournament or receiving an At-Large bid by beating teams outside their conference.
Either way, a slow start will not be an option for the Tigers this year.
Key Returning Players:
- Senior Centerback Meredith Schoenfeld (15 games started, All-Conference Nominee)
- Junior Forward Elizabeth Sewer (5 goals, 1 assist, shots on goal %: .391)
- Senior Forward Stephanie Martin (2 goals, 3 assists, shots on goal %: 0.611)
Best Case Scenario: The team begins the season strong and heads into conference play with a winning record. There, they stay above .500, earning them a spot in the conference tournament and a shot to advance to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Worst Case Scenario: The team undergoes another slow start. Only this time, their record against conference teams isn’t as pretty, and the Tigers’ tournament hopes vanish long before season’s end