'Necks drop final exhibition match to Valpo
Dan Jacobson
Issue date: 8/31/09 Section: Sports
The Leatherneck men's soccer team concluded its preseason schedule with a 1-0 loss to Valparaiso Saturday afternoon.
Due to poor field conditions, the men played on their practice field.
The 'Necks looked great defensively in the beginning, until Valparaiso's Clayton Lyons scored on a shot just minutes before the end of the first half.
However, senior goalkeeper Stephen Paterson and the rest of the young defensive unit were able to shut the Crusaders down after the game's only goal.
As the second half began, the Crusaders kept control of the ball. The 'Necks were able to find a handful of opportunities to score, but came up short.
Sophomore forward Arthur Paszkowski had two shots on goal while senior forward Martin Browne Jr. had one shot that nearly tied the game, but narrowly missed to the right late in the second half.
The 'Necks could not capitalize on their chances, giving them a preseason record of 1-2.
The men finished last season with an overall record of 15-5-3 and a 3-2-1 conference record. Most notable last season was the 'Necks' lack of experience. The 'Necks fell in the first round of the conference tournament to University of Missouri Kansas City.
Now, with one more year of experience, the 'Necks are looking to make an impact in the conference tournament.
"We need to get to the league final and win it," said head coach Dr. Eric Johnson, who is entering his 13th season at the helm of the men's Leatherneck soccer team. "This year we need to create our own chances and finish."
The men's first home game is Tuesday, Sept. 4 at John MacKenzie Alumni Field at 4 p.m.
The 'Necks will go on a two week road trip in early September, entering both the Middleton Sports and Fitness Invitational in Madison, Wis., and the Adidas Bearcats Invitational in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Coach Johnson believes it can only benefit the team with two road trips to begin the season. "It's a good thing to get the guys on the road and have the whole team together," Johnson said. "We have a whole new team this year, and everyone just needs to get used to each other."
This year's team will be facing a couple daunting tasks as they already have three ranked teams on their schedule.
The 'Necks will play host to No. 21 Drake on Oct. 7, then No. 9 Northwestern one week later in Evanston, topping off the list will be a match at No. 11 University of Illinois Chicago on Oct. 20.
This year's tough schedule will only help in their efforts to take this team to the next level.
As the season moves ahead, the men will only get better in route to a possible Summit League Championship.
Due to poor field conditions, the men played on their practice field.
The 'Necks looked great defensively in the beginning, until Valparaiso's Clayton Lyons scored on a shot just minutes before the end of the first half.
However, senior goalkeeper Stephen Paterson and the rest of the young defensive unit were able to shut the Crusaders down after the game's only goal.
As the second half began, the Crusaders kept control of the ball. The 'Necks were able to find a handful of opportunities to score, but came up short.
Sophomore forward Arthur Paszkowski had two shots on goal while senior forward Martin Browne Jr. had one shot that nearly tied the game, but narrowly missed to the right late in the second half.
The 'Necks could not capitalize on their chances, giving them a preseason record of 1-2.
The men finished last season with an overall record of 15-5-3 and a 3-2-1 conference record. Most notable last season was the 'Necks' lack of experience. The 'Necks fell in the first round of the conference tournament to University of Missouri Kansas City.
Now, with one more year of experience, the 'Necks are looking to make an impact in the conference tournament.
"We need to get to the league final and win it," said head coach Dr. Eric Johnson, who is entering his 13th season at the helm of the men's Leatherneck soccer team. "This year we need to create our own chances and finish."
The men's first home game is Tuesday, Sept. 4 at John MacKenzie Alumni Field at 4 p.m.
The 'Necks will go on a two week road trip in early September, entering both the Middleton Sports and Fitness Invitational in Madison, Wis., and the Adidas Bearcats Invitational in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Coach Johnson believes it can only benefit the team with two road trips to begin the season. "It's a good thing to get the guys on the road and have the whole team together," Johnson said. "We have a whole new team this year, and everyone just needs to get used to each other."
This year's team will be facing a couple daunting tasks as they already have three ranked teams on their schedule.
The 'Necks will play host to No. 21 Drake on Oct. 7, then No. 9 Northwestern one week later in Evanston, topping off the list will be a match at No. 11 University of Illinois Chicago on Oct. 20.
This year's tough schedule will only help in their efforts to take this team to the next level.
As the season moves ahead, the men will only get better in route to a possible Summit League Championship.
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