Men's Soccer | 9/30/2010 2:11:42 PM
Game Notes (PDF)
The Matchup
The McPherson soccer team continues a five-match road trip with its first KCAC conference game of the
season as the Bulldogs travel to the University of Saint Mary this Saturday. Kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m. from the University of Saint Mary Football and Soccer Complex in Leavenworth, Kan.
McPherson enters conference action with a 3-4-1 record following a pair of heartbreaking losses at Oklahoma Baptist University and Mid-America Christian University last weekend. Both matches were lost 1-0 on a bit of bad luck near the end of the game.
This weekend’s opponent, the University of Saint Mary, has been through its own struggles so far this season. The Spires won their opening match, 2-1, over York College, but proceeded to lose the next six, including a 13-0 thrashing at the hands of Missouri Valley College last Saturday. The Vikings tallied 40 shots, including 23 on goal, while holding the Spires to a season low three total shots.
Senior forward Brent Mulford has maintained his spot amongst the KCAC’s leading scorers with three goals, despite going goalless over the weekend. He enters the week with a team-best six points on three goals.
Juniors Tyler Tank and Blake Jett captain a McPherson defense that is allowing 1.3 goals per game so far this season. From his center back position, Tank has registered four points on two goals, while blocking three shots. In 731 minutes in goal, Jett has recorded a 1.11 goals against average and .769 save percentage.
Last Week for the Bulldogs
The Bulldogs ended its non-conference schedule with a road trip to Oklahoma to face Oklahoma Baptist University and Mid-America Christian University. McPherson battled hard against its foes from the south, but failed to net a goal in 1-0 losses to both opponents.
Against OBU, the match remained tied at 0-0 until the 80th minute when a ball played towards goal by Bison defender Cristian Sampaio slipped through the hands of the Bulldog goalkeeper and found its way into the net. The Bulldog failed to tie the game in the final ten minutes, dropping the contest 1-0.
On Saturday, McPherson traveled to Mid-American Christian University and, unfortunately, suffered another heartbreaking defeat. The match remained tied through regular time and most of the two overtime periods despite a number of opportunities by both sides. However, it was MACU who netted the game winning goal in the 109th minute to take the game 1-0.
With the losses, McPherson dropped to 3-4-1 on the season, including a 0-3-0 record away from McPherson Stadium.
Scouting USM
University of Saint Mary (1-6-0, 0-0-0) enters Saturday on a six-match winless streak, including at 13-0 loss at Missouri Valley College. MVC netted eight first half goals en route to the blowout victory. The Spires lone victory was a 2-1 win against York College on Sept. 4.
Leading the way for the Spires is defender Brad Heim and forward Matt Fields. Heim is the top USM scorer this season with two goals, while Fields directs the offense with one goals and a team-best two assists.
As a team, USM has struggled to keep its opponents out of the back of the net, allowing 2.0 goals per
game, while being outshot by their opponents, 193-80. Goalkeeper Preston Becker has played a majority of the minutes, registering a 2.27 goals against average and .745 save percentage. He currently owns a 1-4-0 record.
Head coach Derek Mazeitis (Truman State University (Mo.)) is in his fourth year as the head coach of the USM soccer programs. Prior to USM, Mazeitis coached at Platte County High School in Platte City, Mo.
