(Box Score) Goshen, IN — Goshen College head men’s soccer coach Tavi Mounsithiraj could be heard muttering all the way from the Goshen College Soccer Complex into his office late Thursday night.
He was frustrated with the game of soccer.
Just moments earlier, Mounsithiraj witnessed his squad handily dominate visiting Urbana University in nearly every capacity, only to come away with a scoreless, double-overtime draw.
“Sometimes the game of soccer, it just,” Mounsithiraj paused. “It can just be frustrating to play so well and do so many good things and have it not show up in the result.
“But it is soccer,” he continued. “And I love it.”
Goshen (1-3-2, 0-0) suffered its second tie of the season against the Blue Knights, even though the stat sheet was stuffed in the Leafs’ favor. Thirty Goshen shots and 17 shots on goal compared to just six and two for the visitors, while Mounsithiraj’s team blasted nine corner kicks to Urbana’s one.
In the end, though, Urbana goalkeeper Ryan Michaels was the difference, finishing with 17 saves and thwarting an all-out relentless pursuit of the Blue Knights’ goal.
“You have to give Urbana credit,” Mounsithiraj said. “Their keeper was awesome. I thought that we did not do a good job of finishing some shots, but he made a lot of great saves that otherwise should have been goals.”
As the statistics would attest, it was a game of Goshen dominance early and often. Mounsithiraj’s team calculated 15 of its total 30 shots in the first 45 minutes, with several shots on goal inexplicably missed. Senior Tony Janzen had three attempts thwarted from within the 18-yard box, while classmate Nate Montiel pushed a point-blank attempt wide in the second half.
Goshen did put a ball into the net and past Michaels in the first overtime stanza, though sophomore Scott Wilkinson was called offsides. Janzen pushed a through ball to Wilkinson on one of numerous Leafs’ pushes to the offensive third, and Wilkinson outraced an Urbana defender. Linesman Juan Layva signaled Wilkinson offsides, however, and the goal was nullified.
Freshman Trent Moody made his second career start in goal for the Leafs, and captured his second consecutive shutout. He finished with one save.
Injuries continue to be a problem for Goshen, as senior Joel Gonzalez and junior Garet Osterloo were each sidelined with lower leg issues. Goshen College athletic training personnel list both players as day-to-day.
The Leafs now make the lengthy trip to Lancaster, Pennsylvania for a tilt with sister institution Eastern Mennonite University on Saturday. Game time is set for 4 p.m.
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Sophomore Scott Wilkinson