The display of offense on Saturday afternoon was one that has not been seen on Boswell Field since early September.
As a team that possesses some of the most dynamic and young scorers not only in the NCAC conference, but in Div. III overall, DePauw showed just how dangerous they can be.
Four different players scored for DePauw in the men's soccer team match against Allegheny College. The final regular season match for both teams resulted in a 4-1 win for the Tigers, the highest goal total on Boswell Field since Sept. 1, when DePauw won 5-0 over Monmouth College.
"We were definitely countering fast and getting the ball to our feet," said sophomore forward Andy Morrison, who scored one goal. "We were going down the wings and getting on the ball and finishing well."
With the win, the Tigers (12-1-4, 6-1-2 NCAC) locked up the No. 2 seed in the NCAC conference tournament. The game was actually an important one for DePauw, as the top of the NCAC standings are close. If the Tigers had lost to Allegheny (13-4-1, 5-3-1 NCAC), they would have possibly dropped to the fifth spot and not advanced to the playoffs.
"It's not like you try and hide pressure from players," head coach Brad Hauter said. "These guys are smart, and they look at the standings every day, and they understand that we could finish in second or fifth depending on what we do here. If our goal is to challenge for a national championship, and we want to be in that conversation, then we can't back away from pressure."
Early on, DePauw challenged the Gators on a long ball forward from senior defender Andrew Desmarais. The Gator defense watched the ball soar over their heads and let it bounce to the goalkeeper. Senior midfielder, Dean Weaver, sprinted after it while the Allegheny goalkeeper, John Linchina, ran out to get the ball.
Weaver volleyed the ball out of the air past the charging Linchina, just over his left shoulder, for the Tigers' first goal of the game just three minutes in.
"Andrew hit one of those in-between balls where the front guys weren't sure if they could get and there were no back guys except for Dean," Hauter said. "He was just hoping it came through and read it perfectly."
In the 21st minute, it was freshmen forward Adrian Ables who received a brilliant pass into the left corner from Morrison in the midfield. Ables curled around behind the defense, using his speed to gain significant separation from the nearest defender.
He dribbled back toward the goal near the left post and decided to do it himself. He unleashed a shot near post for a 2-0 DePauw lead.
"He's phenomenal, and he has the ability to do that every time," Hauter said. "The more he does it and finds success, the more he'll be comfortable doing it. He had three different options on that play. ... He took the most difficult option and executed it. That's typically not where you go with that ball, but this kid is a finisher."
The Tigers added another goal by junior midfielder George Elliott as he took a shot from the left of the goal inside the box, and an Allegheny player who attempted to clear the ball, headed it in the net instead.
After the first half, DePauw led 3-0 and outshot the Gators, 6-4.
In the second half, it was Morrison's turn to get on the scoreboard. Ables first tore down the left sideline and crossed the ball into the 18-yard box. It was tapped out to the top of the box by Weaver, and Morrison didn't hesitate to unload.
The sophomore hit a powerful, low shot past a diving goalkeeper for his team-leading ninth goal.
"I knew I had to finish that one," Morrison said.
Added Hauter: "It came to the feet of our best finisher, and he didn't make a mistake on it. The thing that's really comforting and calming for me is the better our competition, the more goals we're scoring."
The Tigers scored 21 of the season's 33 goals against teams with a .500 record. DePauw will host Hiram College on Thursday at 6 p.m. in the NCAC semifinals. Hiram is the only team this season to hand the Tigers a loss, a 3-2 result on Sept. 22.
"The thing that makes us successful is when we move the ball," Hauter said "There are times when we get locked in, and we play short. The longer we keep the ball in one area, the more difficult it is for us to play."