Goshen, IN — For die-hard fans
of elite small-college athletics, one couldn’t pick a better
place to be this weekend than on the campus of Goshen College.
With the Leafs’ men’s soccer program basking in the freshness
of its first Mid-Central Conference Co-Championship in 14 years and the
Goshen men’s basketball team prepped to open its highly-anticipated
2005-2006 season, things will be running at full tilt Saturday within the
Goshen College athletics facilities.
Goshen basketball opens its regular-season slate Friday night with the
initial game of the third-annual McDonald’s Maple City Hoopfest,
while the soccer squad will host the first round of the MCC Tournament
Saturday night. That follows the second leg of the Hoopfest, giving fans
a full plate to enjoy within a 24-hour period.
“It will be a busy two days around here, but that’s the way
we like it,” said Ken Pletcher, Goshen College athletic director. “We’re
anticipating large crowds for both events, and we’re ready.
For our level of competition, this is really good stuff.”
Head coach Stan Daugherty will look to keep his men’s basketball
team undefeated in Maple City Hoopfest action beginning Friday, when the
team will face Ohio State University-Lima at 6 p.m. Goshen is 4-0 in the
two-year history of the event, winning by an average of 26.8 points in
those games. Indiana University Southeast and Calumet College make up the
remainder of this year’s field, as those two teams will meet at 8
p.m. Friday night in the Roman Gingerich Center. The tournament’s
consolation game is set for 1 p.m. Saturday, with the championship game
following at 3 p.m.
The first games of the season for all four teams involved, I.U. Southeast
enters the Hoopfest as the 25th-ranked team in the nation according to
the pre-season NAIA Top 25 poll released Wednesday. Goshen, meanwhile,
finished last season just out of the 2004-2005 final Top 25 ballot, claiming
the 28th slot behind a 21-11 final record. Despite losing just two seniors
from that team, Daugherty said being snubbed by the raters in the newest
poll doesn’t bother him in the least.
“We’re more excited about having the opportunity to possibly
play teams like I.U. Southeast than anything else,” Daugherty
said. “It’s a chance for us to re-prove ourselves and
to see what we’re made of this season.”
Should Daugherty’s team face I.U. Southeast on Saturday, it would
mark the second time the Leafs have gone up against a nationally-rated
team in the Hoopfest. Goshen defeated sixth-ranked Cardinal Stritch University
by a 90-64 in the 2003 tournament.
“This (tournament) should be a fun way to open our season, and should
be a fun kick-off for this weekend,” Daugherty said. “Saturday
is going to be an exciting day for athletics in general and the entire
campus. Hopefully we can start things off right.”
Fans will have enough time to grab dinner following the action on the hardwood
Saturday, as the men’s soccer team will host the University of St.
Francis in the first round of the MCC Tournament at 7 p.m. Saturday evening.
After finishing the regular season with a 13-1-2 overall record and a 6-1-1
league mark, Goshen earned its first MCC co-championship since the 1990
season.
“It’s been a great year for us, and we’d like to keep
it going,” said Tavi Mounsithiraj, head men’s soccer
coach. “Each individual on our team is going to give their
best effort Saturday. It’s time to put it all on the line.”
Goshen — which claimed the conference’s second seed behind
a tie-breaker to co-champ Bethel College — has the unenviable task
of facing the Cougars for the second time in a week: The Leafs beat St.
Francis by a 2-1 score in Fort Wayne last Saturday in the squad's final
regular-season match.
“Playing the same team that we just beat last week does not make
much of a difference to us,” Mounsithiraj said. “We’ll
give them respect in knowing that they will come in here and give
it all that they have, but our side will do the same. We have no
control over what the other team is going to do or say, but we know
what we need to do.”
For the Goshen College student-body, knowing what to do on Friday and Saturday
is simple: Get out to the events, and come early. The first 50 Goshen College
students in attendance to Saturday’s basketball game will receive
a free Maple City Hoopfest t-shirt, while the first 100 students at the
gate to Saturday night’s men’s soccer match will be admitted
free, courtesy of the Goshen College student life department. (All additional
Goshen students must pay the conference tournament-mandated $2 admission.)
Gates open at 6 p.m., with student-life passes being issued beginning at
6:30 p.m.
“I really hope that our students come out to both games Saturday,” Mounsithiraj
said. “For all the students that have supported us this year,
I want to thank you personally for helping us win a share of the
MCC Championship. All of your signing and cheering, you have no idea
what it means to the players and our coaching staff. We do appreciate
your support and I am asking you again to please come out this Saturday.
Both teams need you.” |
  Stan
Daugherty
|
 Tavi
Mounsithiraj
|
`***
BIG FALL WEEKEND ***`
Maple City Hoopfest
Friday,
Oct. 28
O.S.U.- Lima vs. Goshen
( 6 p.m.)
I.U. Southeast vs. Calumet
( 8 p.m.)
Saturday, Oct. 29
Consolation Game (1 p.m.)
Championship Game (3 p.m.)
First
50 students in the gate Saturday receive free Maple
City Hoopfest t-shirt
|
Men's
Soccer MCC Tournament
Saturday,
Oct. 29
#7 University of St. Francis vs. #2 Goshen — 7 p.m.
First 100 students in the gate admitted FREE. Gates open
at 6 p.m. for general admission; 6:30 p.m. for GC student-body
free admission line.
|
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