The Virginia Wesleyan men's soccer team picked up four key ODAC victories to re-establish themselves as contenders for the ODAC title. The 4-2 victory over Washington & Lee on Spt. 25 was also big because it ended a three game losing streak for the Marlins. It was the first time the Marlins had lost three consecutive games in the tenure of head coach Sonny Travis. Travis said the key to getting back on track was remaining positive. "After the third straight loss, it was important to start doing things that made playing fun again," said Travis. "We're a young team still trying to figure each other out. Our chemistry just hasn't come together yet."

"Coach had us some team unity things," said senior Matt Hasty. "The big difference was we needed to come together as a team off the field." Leading the way in the victory over W&L was senior Ryan Molloy, who scored three goals. Hasty also scored a goal on an assist from Molloy. "Ryan really elevated his play and it couldn't have come at a better time," said Travis. Molloy's intense play brought the team up to a new level and raised the limitations of the Marlin's defense. "Everybody just got tired of losing," said Molloy. "We didn't do anything different. We just came together." On Sept. 26, the Marlins picked up the victory with a 3-0 win over Emory and Henry. Goalkeeper Colin Stevenson recorded his first shutout, and junior Vinnie Sciullo, freshmen Josh Nolz and Josh Hill each scored for the Marlins. Sophomore Tom Scanlon contributed with two assists.

"The team showed signs of coming together and the offense kicked in, which had been in a scoring slump. I had total confidence in our team and I knew we would play well this weekend," said Molloy. The team then traveled to Roanoke College on Oct. 2, defeating the rival Maroons 1-0. Sciullo scored the lone goal for the Marlins. On Sunday, Oct. 3, the Marlins continued their winning streak with a 5-0 victory over Bridgewater. Hasty, seniors Scott Wheately and Ryan McGee, junior Bill Pesche, and sophomore Jamie Kyne all scored goals for the Marlins. In goal, Stevenson recorded his third shutout of the season. For the season Molloy has six goals, three assists and is second in the ODAC in scoring with 14 points. Also standing out for the Marlins are Hasty with five goals, two assists and 11 points, and Nolz with three goals and one assist for seven points.

In goal, Stevenson has 16 saves on 30 shots and has given up only two goals in seven games. This season the Marlins are playing the toughest schedule in the team's history. Travis said he made the schedule so tough in order to better prepare his team for post-season play. This year, for the first time, the winner of the ODAC gets an automatic bid to the post-season. The Marlins are currently 7-3-1 overall, 4-1 in the ODAC.

With nothing but experience to gain, the women's and men's tennis teams recently squared off against the top 64 players in the South Region at the Rolex Invitational. The men's Rolex Tournament was played at Washington and Lee University. Representing the Marlins were Spencer Baird, Matt Chester, Rod Gibson and John Tomasheski. "It's a tournament set up to prepare our players for the spring season," said Coach Dave Macedo. "all the best players are there and it is a good opportunity to show your stuff early against the best players in the region."

The team finished the two day event with a record of 3-6. Among the top teams were Greensboro, Methodist, Washington and Lee and Mary Washington. The Lady Marlins traveled to Mary Washington for their showing in the Rolex Tournament and did very well according to Coach Steve Clark. "We exceeded our expectations," Clark said. "We will definitely surprise our rivals in the spring." Transfer Brooke Sheety led the Marlins, advancing to the semi-final match in the consolation bracket. Debuting in their first collegiate matches were freshmen Jessica Hatch and Cameron Mealey, who both won their opening matches. Also making strong showings were Kitsie Larock and Nathalie Vandenheiligenberg. The Lady Marlins finished a strong 9-7 in singles and high in the final standings.