Men’s soccer pushes to repeat as ODAC Champs

Heading into the final week of the regular season, the Virginia Wesleyan men’s soccer team seems to be clicking on all cylinders, which is necessary if the Marlins are going to be making another run for the ODAC championship. Poised and ready for a run, assistant coach Arron Lujan is excited to see his squad defend their championship.

“They have been playing great,” said Lujan. “We are improving every game, and the chemistry between the freshmen and upperclassmen is really coming along. They are jelling as a team much more.”

Despite the excellent play as of late, the Marlins faced a setback when they played Roanoke College Oct. 9.

Coming into the game the Marlins were 3-1-1 in the ODAC, while Roanoke was 2-2. Primed to face one of their strongest rivals, the Marlins came out strong but were handed an incredible obstacle ten minutes into the game when junior Matt Greene committed a hard foul and was given a red card, forcing them to play the remainder of the game a man down.

Roanoke took advantage of its extra man by scoring a goal before the end of the first half. The Marlins did what they could to maintain that one goal deficit, but Roanoke destroyed all hope of a victory by scoring two quick goals in the last ten minutes of the game.

Resilient as always, the Marlins bounced back against another strong ODAC opponent, Bridgewater College. Senior captain Caleb Hill scored a quick goal to put the Marlins up 1-0. The game sustained that score with the Marlins missing a couple opportunities to score. With 15 seconds left, the Eagles scored a goal from 25 yards out, sending the game into overtime.

“We came out pumped up,” said Lujan. “I just knew it was a matter of time before we won it.”

Then junior Chris Mills scored in the second overtime period on a diving header from junior Kelvin Murray.

The Marlins now have an 8-5-1 overall record with a 4-2-1 ODAC record, which places them second in the ODAC, two points behind Roanoke. The Marlins have also jumped back into the south region rankings at No. 10. Washington and Lee and Randolph-Macon are the only conference opponents that remain before the ODAC tournament begins, and the Marlins need to finish strong in order to receive a high bid and possible home field advantage for the tournament.

Prepared for that final run is freshman standout and starting goalkeeper, Kyle Williams. With some game experience before the Roanoke contest, Williams took over the starting position after senior goalkeeper Mark Hackett severely injured his hand.

“He has been playing great for a freshman,” said Lujan. “He will develop into one of the best keepers in the conference. We have no reservations about playing him in the ODAC or the NCAA tournament.”

The confident rookie has experienced some success earlier in the season with victories over rivals Christopher Newport and Eastern Mennonite University. But he has needed some assistance in his adaptation to the college game.

“This game is a lot faster,” said Williams, “and if you make bad decisions, they can really come to haunt you. Hackett and Matt Nelson [the goalkeeper coach] gave me some real good advice and have really prepared me for the tournament.”

Williams and the Marlins will go to Washington & Lee University on Saturday, Oct. 23, and then host the Hornets of Randolph-Macon College, Oct. 26 in their final game of the regular season. With two wins and a little help from some other teams in the ODAC the Marlins will guarantee themselves a spot in the ODAC tournament, and will have a chance to host the ODAC tournament starting Oct. 30.