Goshen, IN — Goshen head coach Tavi Mounsithiraj sat in his office just prior to Wednesday night’s match with Mid-Central Conference rival Taylor University, stared at his computer, and smiled. Looking at live radar, Mounsithiraj could plainly see the enormous green blob covering the majority of the Midwest, meaning that the ensuing match at the Goshen College Soccer Complex would be a wild, wet, windy affair.

What better conditions than to get your seventh straight win in?

In the end, the weather radar didn’t quite do the conditions justice, as the rain fell in sheets throughout the match with stiff winds shifting out of the North, making the field sloppier and colder as the night went on. That didn’t seem to matter to Goshen (7-0-1, 2-0) as the team turned in a dominating performance in a 3-0 win over the Trojans, marking the squad’s seventh straight victory overall and a perfect two for two slate in MCC competition.

“(The rain) didn’t really matter to us because we were ready to play,” Mounsithiraj said following the mudfest. “Right off the kick off our squad was playing with urgency and wanting to set the tempo for the match, and we did. I’m so proud of how the team came out tonight and put in quality minutes of good soccer.”

The weather put a stamp on the game early, as Goshen began to pressure the Taylor defense up front. Just 15 minutes into the match freshman Raad Qumsieh was fouled just outside the 18, and his resulting indirect kick gave way to the team’s first goal. Qumsieh placed a nice ball into the goal mouth, but as Taylor’s keeper came out to field the ball, it slicked off his chest and to the feet of sophomore Tony Janzen. Janzen was quick to rocket the ball into the undefended net, giving Goshen the momentum and a 1-0 lead early.

After the teams traded possession with little activity up front for the remainder of the first period, Goshen again got things going in the second half. Freshman Cody Felton was a tireless workhorse throughout the night, and with 10 minutes elapsed in the second half his work paid off. After the Leafs’ defense sent a long ball into the Taylor box, it was Felton that outraced everyone to it, even surprising the Trojan goalkeeper with his presence. Taylor’s keeper raced to pick up the loose ball, but Felton was there first, and was run over. The official awarded Mounsithiraj’s team with a penalty kick, and junior captain Joel Miller was called upon to do the honors. Miller slipped a low liner to the right of the Taylor keeper, and just like that Goshen had a 2-0 lead.

“Just like our last match, I told the team (at halftime) that we did not need anymore goals to win,” Mounsithiraj said. “I think we did a great job of maintaining possession of the ball, and that’s what led to our scoring opportunities late.

“I cannot say enough about Felton and how he has adjusted to the college game,” Mounsithiraj continued. “The guy hustles for 90 minutes if I kept him on the field. He has been huge for us.”

As the rain began pounding even harder, it was again Goshen — perhaps riding its collective momentum — that scored just five minutes later. Junior defender Jared Price crept past the midfield line to send a rocket of a shot from 40 yards out, and again the Taylor goalkeeper appeared to have a bead on it. The wet conditions again proved costly, however, as the ball ricocheted off his chest and back into the field of play. Never giving up on a ball, it was Janzen again, scoring his 10th goal of the season on another nifty putback, all but burying the hopes of Taylor in the process.

Junior Craig Welscott was credited with his fourth shutout of the season in the Leafs’ goal, stopping seven Taylor shots on the night. If there was any drawback to the match, it was the sight of Qumsieh being carried off the field midway through the second half. Qumsieh aggravated a nagging quadriceps strain, and simply could not continue. Mounsithiraj said he should be back in action for the team’s next match. On the other end of the injury spectrum, junior midfielder Jesse Woodworth returned to the field for the first time in three matches, playing nearly half the match after suffering a pulled hamstring. According to Mounsithiraj, his minutes are expected to increase on a match-by-match basis.

“Tonight was a good win for us but we still have a lot of matches left and we will continue to train hard and keep improving each time we play,” Mounsithiraj said. “We will need to play even better Friday. It will be a challenge, but I think the men are up for a challenge.”

That “challenge” lies in the form of defending MCC Champion Bethel College, who the Leafs will face Friday night in Mishawaka for a huge conference showdown. Match time is set for 7 p.m.