The DePauw women's soccer team came out hard Wednesday night against a Wheaton College (11-0-1) team ranked No. 3 in the nation, but couldn't produce the desired results, losing 0-2.
After falling behind 27 minutes into the game, the Tigers fruitlessly maintained their aggression on offense throughout the second half. The team handled the ball well and found great opportunities in the offensive third but couldn't capitalize.
"I thought we played really well. We came out with the energy and mentality we needed," said head coach John Carter. "It was just a disappointing finish. We had chances to score but couldn't put one in the back of the net."
Leading goal-scorer for DePauw, senior Alex Ehr, was out of action Wednesday due to academic obligations. The team hopes to rebound Saturday against Ohio Wesleyan University (6-3-2, 1-0 NCAC). Ehr, who has six goals so far this season, will be back on the field for the weekend match.
DePauw (4-7, 2-1 NCAC) has now dropped three games in a row. Ohio Wesleyan sits undefeated in the NCAC but has played only one conference game.
"I hope we have the same mentality against Ohio Wesleyan as we did against Wheaton," Carter said. "We have to go into the game and have the mentality of we are the better team."
If the team can come out against Ohio Wesleyan in the same manner it did against Wheaton, the opportunities to score will be numerous. Though the results haven't shown it in the last few games, the team feels positive about its performance.
"We are getting to the point where we should be, and if we can keep that up and stay consistent in our play, we will be where we need to be for the rest of the season," Carter said. "We can't control how another team comes out, but we can control our game. If we have the same commitment we had against Wheaton who was third in the country, we can see great success."
Carter says the team is getting better and learning from every moment of play.
They have been tweaking some things and experimenting with new offensive formations in hopes of greater success in the offensive third of the field.
The Tigers' contest with Ohio Wesleyan will take place on Boswell Field at noon with a live broadcast on WGRE 91.5.