(Box Score) Goshen, IN — Just two matches into the 2007 campaign, and a 0-1-1 record isn’t the end of the world for the 16th-ranked Goshen College men’s soccer team.
It isn’t the way to keep the voters happy at the NAIA national office, either.
Goshen (0-1-1, 0-0) dropped a 2-1 decision to Davenport University Saturday evening at the Goshen College Soccer Complex, dropping its first game to the Panthers in the 47-year history of the Leafs’ program while almost assuring the squad a fall from the NAIA’s Top 25 Poll come Wednesday. Despite another dominating performance in possession and ball control, it was Goshen that came up just short on needed scoring opportunities.
“Davenport is a very good team with lots of individual talent from all over the world,” said Tavi Mounsithiraj, Goshen head coach. “I thought we did a great job of playing with them and I thought that we outplayed them everywhere but on the scoreboard. But that’s just soccer. You can have more possession of the ball, but you also need to score. That being said, this is a very tough loss for us.”
With the debut of a gorgeous, full-length signage board to the far side of the field at the Goshen College Soccer Complex, the Leafs came out attacking. An early miscue in the backfield helped Davenport to a go-ahead score at the game’s 23rd minute, but a nifty pass from sophomore Luke Woodworth found senior Tony Janzen just 90 seconds later, as Janzen buried his first score of the year to knot things up at 1-1.
Goshen’s control of the ball carried into the second period, as again Janzen blasted a shot into the back of the net just past the midway point of the stanza. An eruption from the crowd nearly drowned out the center official’s whistle, however, as Janzen was ruled offsides and the goal nullified.
“Our defensive team really responded early in the second half and up on our offensive third we were creating chance after chance,” Mounsithiraj said. “After watching the replay on videotape, Tony’s score should have stood.”
Perhaps enthused — if not relieved — by Janzen’s offsides call, Davenport slowly mounted a counter attack. A gorgeous cross into the middle of the field allowed the Panthers’ Efrain Hernandez to head a score beyond freshman goalkeeper Anthony Giovarelli’s reach with just over seven minutes remaining in regulation, and the crowd stood stunned.
Incredibly, Mounsithiraj’s squad did not panic. With reckless urgency, Goshen began to pummel Davenport’s defensive third of the field, coming away with multiple attempts to tie the game as the clock wore down. Perhaps the best chance — and most memorable miss — came with just two minutes to play, as Woodworth sent a cross into the Panthers’ six-yard box where senior Nate Montiel was waiting. Montiel redirected Woodworth’s pass with a violent head thrash, rocketing the ball just outside the inside post and narrowly missing the tying score. Davenport would survive.
“After Davenport scored the go-ahead goal, I really felt that we could still tie things up,” Mounsithiraj said. “I thought for sure that Nate would score that goal.”
Giovarelli ended with a pair of saves on the evening for Goshen, while the Leafs outshot Davenport by an 11 to eight count. Goshen also dominated possession via corner kick, taking an 11 to four advantage in that category.
The Leafs will now take to the road for their next three matches, beginning with a trip to the University of Illinois-Springfield Wednesday. Match time is set for 7 p.m.
“We have a tough week ahead of us with a match on Wednesday at Illinois-Springfield and a tournament at Tri-State University on Saturday and Sunday,” Mounsithiraj said. “We are getting better each time we play and the team is learning to play with a different system and style from last year. We hope we can get it all together soon.”
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Senior Tony Janzen