Kevin O'Neil Headlines End of the Year Awards

Yesterday at the Men's Soccer Banquet the team awards were announced and Kevin O'Neil headlined the Fall 2008 End of the Year Awards. All awards are voted and selected by the players.

Senior Kevin O'Neil (San Antonio, TX) came away with two pieces of hardware on Sunday, earning 'Pirate of the Year' and 'Player of the Year' honors. The Pirate Award exemplifies the overall spirit, character, passion and dedication to the entire program and SU community, while the Player of the Year honor displays the individual who had the most profound impact on the team's progress and success, without this player the team would not have had the success it did. This season KO led the back line again, switching from a sweeper to a center back position, to a third consecutive Second place finish in the SCAC. In 2008, he was selected a Third Team All-SCAC performer and was selected to the inaugural SCAC Soccer All-Sportsmanship Team (placing emphasis on good sportsmanship at all SCAC functions). KO started all 19 matches this season and registered one assist on the year. Last season he was a All-SCAC Second Team pick and was also an ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District pick for his ability not only on the field but in the classroom where he has been able to maintain a 4.0 GPA throughout his academic career. In his four year career, KO has started 48 matches out of 65 played in and has scored one goal along with two assists for 4 points. He helped lead the Pirates to consecutive lowest goals against in SCAC play with letting up only 5 in 2006 and 2007 (a school record).

Newcomer of the Year award went to first year Colin McCulloch (Sugar Land, TX). The Newcomer Award represents the individual who had the most impact on the program as either a transfer or first year and Colin did just that, for the first time in Coach Gregory's tenure, he started a true freshmen in the first match of the season. McCulloch started 18 matches played in this season in the center back position. A great individual defender and monster in the air, McCulloch was able to help solidify a defense depleted by graduation and was able to step in right from the start and play beyond his youth and inexperience.

Most Improved Player award was given to sophomore Ben Feiler (Bellaire, TX). This award his given to the individual that has shown the most dramatic improvement over the 2008 season or his entire career. Only seeing action in three matches in his rookie season, Feiler came in with the mindset of wanting to contribute more. That he did. Feiler started every match this season (19/19) and registered 2 assists along the way from the right back position. Feiler was able to step in become an agressive defender shutting down many dangerous forwards in the SCAC. Was a huge part of the teams success in 2008.

Goal of the Year honors go to senior Preston Hollis (Austin, TX). Preston Hollis was selected for his goals against DePauw and Colorado College. In the match vs. CC, Ben Feiler won the ball just behind midfield and took a few dribbles out on the right flank. He then played an early through ball to a streaking Hollis where he blew by the defender and found a one-on-one opportunity with the Tigers keeper. Hollis curled the ball to his right around the keeper and hit upper 'V' to make it 1-0 Pirates. His game winner vs. DePauw sealed a 1-0 victory and essentially a second place finish in the SCAC. Alex Keller was able to play a through ball Hollis who was flying past defenders, Hollis took one touch at around the 18 and just inside the box from the right edge he slammed a ball to the lower left corner that caremed off the post and ricocheted in for the game winner. Hollis scored 5 goals and had 1 assist in his senior campaign for 11 points and was third on the team in scoring.

The Southwestern Men's Soccer Seniors were also honored for the efforts throughout their careers. Kevin O'Neil, Kevin Jordan, Preston Hollis, Ryan Tasin, Suresh Thomas, Wintson Pool, and Philip Stehling were all part of a tremendous four year stint that saw the Pirates finish three years in a row in second place in the SCAC. In the SCAC they went 25-10-3, had the school record for fewest goals against in SCAC play with 5 in 2006 and 2007, school record for most goals in SCAC play with 26, a school record for most goals in a half with 7 vs. Rhodes and most goals in a SCAC match with 8 vs. Rhodes in 2008 (the first time the Pirates beat Rhodes at Rhodes).

Seniors - Thanks for the massive impact on the Pirates Men's Soccer Program!

Men's Soccer Banquet

The Men's Soccer Banquet will be held Sunday, December 7, 2008 in the McCombs Ballroom in the McCombs Campus Center at 1:00 PM.

All parents, family and friends are invited and welcome to attend!

This year our guest speaker will feature, Joe Mattingly, who currently works in the computer field in Austin, TX.

A former SU graduate (May 2007), Joe Mattingly was an All-SCAC defender for the Pirates being selected to the Second Team in his senior season (2006) and an All-SCAC First Team performer in 2005. After only playing 91 minutes in his first season as a Pirate he went on to start every match his last three seasons (57 straight matches). He led the defense in his senior year to the third lowest goals against in SCAC play and a first ever for SU Pirate Soccer - sole possession of second place in the SCAC with a 6-2-1 record.

We will again dine at 'the Commons' in the campus center and I will send out another email with the cost per person that will be paid at the cashier the day of the banquet.

Please make plans now to join us on Sunday December 7th to celebrate another successful season by the Pirates!

Go Pirates!

Six Pirates Garner All-SCAC Recognition

The annual SCAC awards have been voted on by the leagues head coaches and six Pirates have been selected to the All-SCAC teams released today by the leagues office.

All-SCAC
First Team: Kevin Jordan and David Lozano
Second Team: Josh Spencer, Preston Hollis and Ryan Tasin
Third Team: Kevin O'Neil

Leading the way is Senior Defender #3 Kevin Jordan (Austin, TX). Kevin Jordan was selected as a First Team performer, which this is his first appearance on the All-SCAC Mens Soccer Team in his four year career. After seeing action in 10 games in his rookie season, he went on to start every match played in his last three seasons for the Pirates. An integral part of the three-peat 2nd place finish, KJ has been called upon as a marking back to shut down opposing forwards throughout his career. This past season he was asked to play out of position and in the left back position but was able to adjust and still mark out dangerous attackers from the tough SCAC league. Played in a total of 66 matches starting 56, scored 1 goal and had 2 assists in his career for 4 points.

Representing the First Team is repeat selection #21 David Lozano (Austin, TX). DLo makes his second appearance on the All-SCAC First Team in his third season as a Buc. This season he scored 6 goals and had 1 assist, for 13 points, which was second on the team in scoring. He has started every match the Pirates have played since 2006 (57/57 GP/GS). In his three seasons, he has scored a total of 19 goals and had 6 helpers for a total of 44 points. Last season, he also was a First Team All-South Central Region pick and in his rookie season was a Third Team All-SCAC pick. DLo has one remaining year of eligibility and will be returning to Southwestern for a fifth year.

Another repeat selection is the #9 Midfielder Josh Spencer (Huntsville, TX) but this time climbing the ladder to All-SCAC recognition on the Second Team. JSpence was a dominant force for the Pirates switching from the forward position after a 2007 season where he notched 10 goals and was able to slide back into the midfield slot. Even from the midfield Josh was able to continue to lead the Pirates in scoring. He scored 7 goals and had 1 assist on the year for a total of 15 points. In his three year campaign he only trails Lozano by three points for the scoring prowess. He has scored 19 goals and had 3 assists for a total of 41 points in only 41 games played (41/39 GP/GS). Last season, JSpence was also an ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District First Team selection for his efforts in the classroom and was selected as the Most Improved Player for the Pirates in 2007.

Senior #12 forward Preston Hollis (Austin, TX) makes his first appearance on the All-SCAC teams being selected as a Second Team performer. Hollis' dangerous speed caused fits for every opponent this season. His pace was unable to match and he flew by every defender (s) in his path. This, his senior campaign, was his most productive and best season, where he started 18 of 18 matches played in and scored 6 goals and had 1 assist on the year for a total of 13 points. He tied for second on the squad in scoring in 2008. Over his four year career, he played in a total of 70 matches and scored 12 G and had 7 helpers for 31 career points.

Another first timer as a Second Team All-SCAC pick is Senior Goalkeeper #1 Ryan Tasin (Georgetown, TX). The man between the pipes for the past three seasons has staked his claim to one of the best in Pirate history. In 2006 and 2007 he set a Southwestern record for goals against (GA) in SCAC play by limiting the SCAC opponents to five goals. He played in 61 matches where he started 55 games. He has an overall record of 31-20-1 (W-L-T) for a winning percentage of .610, with a 12-4-1 season in 2007 and has led the Pirates to three second place finishes in the SCAC. In 5054:37 minutes in the box he has amassed 16 shut outs in his four year career and has a 1.3 GAA and also recorded 227 saves in his career.

Capping off the Pirates is Senior Defender #4 Kevin O'Neil (San Antonio, TX). This is KO's second appearance as an All-SCAC selection and this time as a Third Team pick. The intelligence in the backfield, KO has led the Pirates as a sweeper in 2007 and now as a center back in 2008. KO possessed flawless positioning, great individual defending and crafty feet to get out of difficult situations in the defensive third. Experiencing some nagging injuries early in his career the NSCAA HS All-American showed his ability the past two seasons by leading the back and being apart of the defense that only allowed 5 SCAC GA last season and another repeat 2nd place finish in SCAC. O'Neil played in 65 matches where he started 48 and started 38 matches the past two years (65/48 GP/GS in 4 year career). KO also scored 1 goals and had 2 assists from the back for 4 points in his career. KO also was an ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District First Team pick last season.

Check out the SCAC press release and the complete Men's Soccer All-SCAC teams...

http://www.scacsports.com/sports/msoc/2008-09/news/08allscac

Pirates Finish Second

After holding the #1 team in the country scoreless in the first weekend of November, the Pirates were in for another test on the road at SCAC rivals Depauw and Centre this past weekend to close out the 2008 campaign.

The Pirates arrived in Indiana on Thursday afternoon to some cold midwest weather. On Friday morning the Pirates headed to Boswell field to knock the ball around and get the kinks out of the legs from the plane trip.

Friday evening was a beautiful night with the sun going below the horizon as well as the temperature dipping with some strong winds blowing across the field. The Pirates came out on the attack and senior Preston Hollis took a through ball from sophomore Alex Keller on the right edge of the 18 yard box. Hollis took a touch and struck the ball on the floor that slammed against the far post and caromed into the net. The Pirates would sit on Hollis's goal at the 27th minute that would prove the eventual game winner.

The second half saw the Pirates never really gain control of the match but found some chances on net but were just not able to capitilize. The Tigers threw a lot of attackers forward to try and equalize on senior night but the the Pirates fought off the cold and the Tigers to hold on for another 3 points in the SCAC. GK Ryan Tasin recorded his fourth shut out of the 2008 season.

The Pirates then made the 5 hour bus trip to Danville, KY on Saturday morning. With an cold chilly morning the Pirates got off to a slow start and with a controversial call in the first four minutes the Colonels were spotted a 1-0 lead. A Centre forward slammed a ball towards goal from about the six that ricocheted off the crossbar that bounced directly down on the goal line. The assistant referee made the decision to raise his flag and indicate the whole ball crossed the line and was a goal. The entire first half the Pirates just could not find any rhythm and chased the ball and the game. Passes were just too far or short and the ball just seemed to be getting away from the Pirates. Late in the second half, the Colonels scored off a long throw in. The ball was thrown deep in the box and Centre was able to skim it on to the back post to make it 2-0. Even with the lack of rhythm the Pirates had several chances from Davi Lozano, Preston Hollis and Josh Spencer but again the ball sailed wide, over or just did not connect.

The second half the Pirates made a vailant effort and got 9 chances on frame. Josh Spencer brought the Pirates to within strikig distance as he finished a toe poke chance to the far post on a one vs. one with the keeper from a helper by Lozano. The Pirates threw numbers forward but each chance was just thwarted by the Colonels. Goalkeeper Ryan Tasin made 7 incredible saves to keep the Pirates in it but it ended 2-1.

This finished the careers of seniors, Kevin O'Neil, Kevin Jordan, Preston Hollis, Ryan Tasin, Suresh Thomas, Philip Stehling and Winston Pool. Thank you seniors for all your effort! Congrats on another tremendous season.

The Pirates finished 7-3 in SCAC play and in a tie for second place with Centre College in the conference standings. This is the third year in a row the Pirates have finished in second place. In the past six years, the Pirates have finished in the top 3 in the SCAC.

Thanks Seniors!!

check out the SU press release...

http://southwesternpirates.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/spec-rel/111008aaa.html

Texas Shootout

VS.

The Pirates will host the Tigers tomorrow in an old fashion wild wild west shootout for the winner to take a hold on first place in the SCAC. Kickoff time is set for Saturday (November 1) at Noon.

Series Notes:

The Tigers stand 7-0-0 in SCAC play, while Southwestern is 6-1-0 in the conference. The Tigers are 17-0-3 against Southwestern since 1993, which includes last year’s 2-1 win in San Antonio. The last meeting in Georgetown was a 1-0 win for Trinity. In 2005, Southwestern forced a 2-2 tie in San Antonio, which was the only blemish of the regular season for the Trinity Tigers.

Last season, the Pirates at the time were the only team in the country to force the #1 ranked Tigers into overtime. The Tigers took the lead on a Kyle Altman penalty kick but David Lozano scored the tying goal in the 86th minute off a free kick from Daniel Webb. Webb served the ball from the right flank on the touchline outside the 18. The ball soared over Trinity defenders and landed right to Lozano. Lozano took a touch, snaked the ball to his left past an on rushing defender and with his right foot toe poked it into the side netting back post past a leaping goalkeeper who could only look onto see it crash against the net. The Tigers were able to respond off a set piece similar to how the Pirates scored. Robert C'Debaca found himself alone on the back post and toed it in past Ryan Tasin and scored the game winner in the 100th minute to fend off the Pirate upset. After that, the Tigers were able to make a long run in the post season and went to the NCAA D-III National Championship match where they lost in PK's to Middlebury College.

Pirates Set the Table

Pirates set the table for a showdown with the #1 team in the country by defeating Millsaps College 2-0 on Friday and added another slash in the win column by beating NCAA D-III and SCAC provisional member Birmingham Southern 2-1 on Sunday.

Senior forward Preston Hollis (Austin, TX) led the attack against Millsaps. Late in the first half at the 32nd minute, Hollis flew down the left flank past several defenders and sent a ball across the box to first year Morgan Knobel (College Station, TX) who shot a low ball past the Millsaps keeper for the game winner. This is Knobel's fourth goal of the season and his third game winning goal. The Pirates completely dominated the Majors by winning 10 corners in the first half along with 13 shots.

The Pirates continued the attack and just two minutes into the second half got a goal from Hollis. Sophomore Alex Keller (Houston, TX) sent a through ball into a streaking Hollis who dribbled past the keeper and finished the ball in the open net. This is where the score would stand even after the Pirates had 21 shots on the day and 17 corners. Ryan Tasin (Georgetown, TX) made 3 saves recording his third shutout of the season.

The Pirates then faced the Panthers of Birmingham Southern who dropped down to Division III last year from Division I. Thus, the Panthers still remain at provisional status and the match does not count towards the SCAC record.

The Pirates again found many opportunities on net but struggled to put the Panthers away. Senior David Lozano (Austin, TX) got the scoring started as Kevin O'Neil sent a big ball over the top as Lozano ran right at the keeper and finished it to make it 1-0 twenty minutes in the match. Just ten minutes later the Pirates subbed sophomore Tom Holleman into the match. He immediately made an impact by getting on the end of a Josh Spencer flick off a throw in from Alex Keller. Tom Holleman jumped on the second ball and slapped in on goal but was deflected by the several defenders but was able to fight back and tap the ball in to the net on the goal line. The Pirates gave up a PK in the second half but the score was managed by tough defending and good attacking. The Pirates outshot the Panthers 21-8 and held the advantage in corners 5-2. Ryan Tasin made two saves on the day and got the Pirates back to 8-8 on the year.

After the weekend, the Pirates remain in second place in the SCAC with a 6-1 record, just three points behind the Tigers at 7-0. The Pirates will host the Tigers on November 1, 2008 at Noon for first place in the conference.

Back to SCAC

The Pirates are looking forward to getting back to the confines of SCAC play. Last weekend, the Pirates were defeated by a previous NCAA National Champion St. Lawrence University by a score line of 2-0. The Pirates are 1-7 on the season out of conference play, yet are 5-1 in the always tough Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.

The Saints were a typical northeast soccer team and proved to be a difficult opponent on the day for the Pirates. The Saints used their size and grit to win the physical battle, along with the Pirates lack of energy but were able to keep it 0-0 into the half. The second half was much of the same until first year Ryan Staten (Temple, TX) energized the attack and gave life to the sedated Pirates. Staten came onto the field and simply provided a spark of work rate and creativity with the ball at his feet to create some goal scoring opportunities. The Pirates did end up with several good chances but were unable to convert. Even though the Pirates gave up two goals on the day, senior Kevin Jordan (Austin, TX) continued his strong play in the back. Leading the way by delivering hard tackles and keeping the Pirates in the match. The Saints out shot the Pirates 20-9 and held the corner advantage 6-2.

This week:

The Pirates have been flying around and had a solid week of training. The Pirates have again worked on finishing and attacking combinations in the final third of the field and are ready to record another SCAC victory as they prepare for battle with the Millsaps Majors at 2:00 PM on Friday, October 24, 2008. The Pirates currently sit in second place in the SCAC behind #1 Trinity University.

Series Notes:

The past five seasons the Pirates are 4-1 versus the Majors. The Pirates have out scored Millsaps 15-2 and having three shut outs in the process. In 2007, the Pirates got two goals a piece from Josh Spencer and David Lozano for a 4-0 victory (out shooting them 22-4 with a 6-3 corner kick advantage). Two seasons ago was much of the same story, the Pirates outshot them 15-3 and 4-2 in corners in a 5-0 shut out win. Preston Hollis had a career day with 2 goals and 1 assist in the SCAC win and Josh Spencer added a goal. Ryan Tasin has recorded two shutouts versus Millsaps in his career making only 4 saves in those two wins.

check out the St. Lawrence match SU press release:

http://southwesternpirates.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/spec-rel/102008aaa.html

Knobel Nets Two Game Winners

The Pirates were able to continue their strong SCAC play over the weekend by defeating the University of the South (2-1) and Oglethorpe University (4-1) due to first year forward, Morgan Knobel (College Station, TX) netting two game winning goals, which also ups his goals to three for his rookie season, along with sophomore Fernando Leon (Dallas, TX) dishng out two more assists in the victory versus the Tigers.

Another windy weekend on the pitch played part in effecting the match, but the Pirates were able to put obstacles aside and gain six more points in the SCAC standing to remain in second behind NSCAA nationally ranked #1 Trinity University.

On Friday, the Pirates dominated play in the first half with 15 shots but were only able to connect once off a corner kick. Fernando Leon served in a bullet to the near post where senior Josh Spencer was able to fight through traffic and get a head on it as it was redirected into the near post past the goalkeeper to make it 1-0. That stood all the way into the half time rest.

The second half the Tigers took advantage of the gusty winds into the North and were able to put a little pressure on the Pirates defense. The Tigers won a throw in early the second half. The ball somehow got through several white shirts and Ryan Tasin could not fight the melee and the ball ended up on a Tigers foot, where he was able to just lob it up and over Kevin Jordan who was giving a last ditch effort to keep the ball out.

Morgan Knobel came on late in the half and proved to be the super sub. Another set piece by the Pirates and by Fernando Leon secured the win. Morgan Knobel went up in the air along with Colin McCulloch (Sugar Land, TX) and Dan Butterworth (Katy, TX) with only one Tiger trying to defend and head it out. The smaller of the four somehow got his head on it and it found the net to be the game winner. This put Leon assists to four on the season for the Pirates.

Sunday was another tough SCAC match that saw some interesting decision making on part of the officiating crew. Despite some calls that went against the home team, the Pirates persevered and did not make the contorversial calls an issue and thumped Oglethorpe 4-1.

From the whistle, the Pirates were all over the Stormy Petrels but again just struggled to get the one goal that would open the flood gates. It took 31 minutes and substitutions of Morgan Knobel and Juan Carreon (Houston, TX) got the party started. Knobel won a hard tackle in the midfield that energized the play and jumpstarted the attack. Ben Feiler (Houston, TX) got down the field and served a ball in to Carreon who quickly cleaned it up on the penalty spot and snapped off a quick left footer to the bottom left corner. Knobel received a great through ball from Juan Carreon on the right edge of the "D" about 22 out, he took a touch towards goal and rifled a worm burner to the back left post for the eventual game winner. Minutes later, Tom Holleman (Houston, TX) then made a great decision as he received a ball in the box and sent a low driven ball across the box to a wide open Josh Spencer who tapped it in to make it 3-0.

The second half saw a little more fight from Oglethorpe with the wind at their backs but the day was about the Pirates even after a penalty kick conversion allowed the Petrels to draw blood. With many calls going against the Pirates, Josh Spencer was awarded a straight red card in 50-50 battle with the goalkeeper and was dismissed from the match. A man down the Pirates were able to seal the deal, as a counter attack shifted the play quickly to the Oglethorpe box. First year Tony Holzbach (Colleyville, TX), took a quick shot that deflected into the net past an on rushing keeper. This made it 4-1 and gave the Pirates another victory.

This pushes the Pirates to 6-7 overall and 5-1 in the tight race for SCAC supremacy.

SCAC Standings:

Trinity 6-0 (18 pts)
Southwestern 5-1 (15 pts)
DePauw 4-0-1 (13 pts)
Centre 4-1 (12 pts)
Rhodes 3-4 (9 pts)
Colorado College 2-1 (6 pts)
Millsaps 2-2 (6 pts)
Sewanee 1-5-1 (4 pts)
Hendrix 1-6 (3 pts)
Oglethorpe 0-5-2 (2 pts)
Birmingham 0-0-0 (0 pts)
Austin 0-3 (0 pts)

The Pirates are off from SCAC play this weekend and will play a former Division III National Champion, St. Lawrence University, winning the title in 1999. This season the Saints are 8-5 overall and 3-2 in their Liberty League play. St. Lawrence is one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division III soccer. The Saints have won 9 Liberty League Conference titles and made 9 straight NCAA tournament appearances from 1998-2006.

Another great opportunity for the Pirates to play some of the best competition in the country. The match is slated for Saturday, October 18 at Noon at Trinity University (San Antonio, TX).

check out the SU press release

http://southwesternpirates.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/spec-rel/101408aaa.html

Pirates Look to Keep Streak Going vs. Sewanee

Senior Kevin Jordan (Austin, TX) will look to shut down another SCAC opponent on Friday vs. the Sewanee Tigers (the University of the South) at 4:00 PM at home. Last Sunday, Jordan led the Pirates on defense to find their 3rd victory in SCAC play in a 4-1 win versus Austin College. With the win, the Pirates currently sit in a tie for second place with 9 points (3-1) in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference standings.

The Pirates are continuing to find their pace and rhythm as a team. Even in a tough loss to Colorado College in the waning seconds of the match, the Pirates gained more confidence. The team has seen what they are capable of by scoring against the wind and out playing the CC Tigers in the second half. Then an improved Austin College side fought for 90 minutes and demonstrated to the Pirates once again the importance in finishing their chances and finishing off a team early.

The focus of training this week has been in front of goal on Tuesday, with a Wednesday session of polishing up on how Sewanee will attack the Pirates and then again looking for that killer punch by finishing any knock downs and second chances on goal. The Pirates are ready for a high intensity match that will see the Sewanee Tigers trying to high pressure for portions of the 90 minutes.

Series notes:

In the previous five meetings with the University of the South, the Pirates are 5-0 against the Tigers, out scoring the Tigers 13-3. Senior Kevin Jordan has come up big in his tenure, with his lone career goal and 1 of his 2 career assists coming versus the University of the South.

In 2005, Jordan scored the game winner in the 69th minute to secure a 1-0 SCAC win on the road. Last year, Jordan again played his hand in dishing out the game winning assist in a tough contested 2-1 victory again on the Tigers field, where he fed Daniel Webb with 5 minutes left to snatch the victory.

The most lopsided victory came in 2005, where the Pirates beat the Tigers 5-0 again on the mountain at Sewanee. The Pirates got a goal a piece from current seniors David Lozano (Austin, TX) and Preston Hollis (Austin, TX). Other than the 5-0 drubbing in 2005, the Pirates and the Tigers have seen three matches decided by a one goal margin. It should be another close contested battle this Friday in Georgetown. The Pirates will try and continue the winning streak against the Tigers and add another SCAC win to the 2008 resume.

Senior goalkeeper, Ryan Tasin (Georgetown, TX) has made two starts against the Tigers and recorded a total of 5 saves with his 2-0 record. Tasin recorded the shutout in the 5-0 victory in 2006 and only gave up one goal in 2007 in the 2-1 win.

Scoring leaders for the Pirates (after 11 matches)...

#21 David Lozano (5 G - 10 points)
#9 Josh Spencer (4 G 1 A - 9 points)
#6 Nathan Shaw-Meadow (2 G 4 A - 8 points)
#12 Preston Hollis (3 G 1 A - 7 points)
#11 Alex Keller (1 G 3 A - 5 points)
#8 Fernando Leon (1 G 2 A - 4 points)
#15 Tim Hord (1 G - 2 points)
#10 Juan Carreon (1 G - 2 points)
#30 Morgan Knobel (1 G - 2 points)


How the Pirates rank in the SCAC:

Forward David Lozano ranks sixth in the SCAC in scoring with 5 goals.

Junior midfielder Nathan Shaw-Meadow ranks fourth in the SCAC in assists, with 4 helpers on the season, as well as sophomore Alex Keller ranks tied for 8th in assists in the SCAC with 3 on the year.

Goalkeeper Ryan Tasin is second in the SCAC in saves with 58 and third in the SCAC with 5.27 saves per game, as well as ranking tied for third in shutouts (2).

Pirates Right the Ship vs. the Roos

After a tough defeat on Friday to Colorado College, the Pirates took the field on Sunday looking to right the ship against an improved Austin College side.

On another windy afternoon, the Pirates scored twice against the wind in the first half. At 17:47 of the first half, senior Preston Hollis (Austin, TX) again gave the Pirates the early lead by beating the keeper to the corner for the unassisted goal. Hollis cut across the box and shot the ball, which the Roos keeper could not hang on to it as it slipped through his hands to reach the net. The Kangaroos quickly answered 6 minutes later. One Roo found himself in an offside position as the ball got deflected in right to, he touched it and beat Tasin to the far post to make to 1-1. Even after some discussion between the center referee and the assistant referee, the no offside call stood and the Roos tied the match at one.

The Pirates went back to work and seven minutes later scored off a corner kick. Sophomore Fernando Leon (Dallas, TX) served a driven ball into the near post from the right side and a slashing David Lozano (Austin, TX) connected with his head to ram the ball to the back of the net. This made it 2-1 and it stayed this going into the half.

The Pirates were playing good soccer but needed some encouragement at the half to put a team that was fighting hard but clearly not as good as the Southwestern side. The Pirates made some adjustments to clog their attack that went into a solid first year player, #30 from Austin College. Kevin Jordan stepped into a defensive midfielder role as we went from four backs to three and this helped shut down the Roos attack.

The Pirates came out in a very aggressive minded stance and attacked the Roos net continuously but were unable to put the nail in the coffin until the 71st minute. The Pirates were on the offensive and were down in the opponents box and substitution Juan Carreon (Houston, TX) won the ball off a defender. The two went back and forth fighting for it but Carreon proved stronger as he fought off the defender at the left edge of the box and slipped past him with a great look at the goal. Juan Carreon took tow touches to prepare his shot and laced a ball that went over a diving keeper and dipped under the bar and splashed the upper net. This made the game 3-1 and sealed the deal for the Pirates.

Getting into the scoring action, sophomore Fernando Leon added to his assist, as he took a free kick just to right edge of the 'D' area. Leon added on to the good measure and slammed a ball with his left foot that curled around the wall and past the keeper into the far post upper 90 to make it 4-1 in the 88th minute.

Senior Ryan Tasin (Georgetown, TX) made 8 saves on the day to record the win.

The Pirates were clearly the better team but the Kangaroos fought hard throughout the 90 minutes and never quit. The Pirates out shot the Roos 33-18 and also had the edge in corners 7-1. It was another hard fought SCAC match that saw five cautions, four being for Austin College.

The Pirates move to 3-1 in the SCAC with 9 points and 4-7 overall on the season. The Pirates face another SCAC weekend at home starting on Friday, October 10, as the University of the South is in town, match time is set for 4 PM. Then on Sunday, October 12, they host Oglethorpe University at noon.

Check out the SU press release

http://southwesternpirates.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/spec-rel/100608aaa.html

A THANK YOU........Afterwards the Pirates were treated to Dukes BBQ at the Annual Pirate Tailgate hosted by the Pirate faithful parents. The Pirates and the coaching staff want to express our extreme gratitude for the efforts in coordinating the tailgate. The food was great after a Pirate victory. Thank you to all the parents and those who helped with the festivities!

Tigers Claw to Defeat the Pirates 2-1

Southwestern gets bitten by the Tigers late in the game and Colorado College came out on top defeating the Pirates 2-1. The godfather of Division III soccer and legendary coach of Colorado College, Horst Richardson, expressed his thoughts on the match to Coach Gregory as they shook hands at midfield by saying "We always have one goal games." This certainly sums up the passion from both the Pirates and the Tigers, in yet another epic SCAC battle.

Senior Preston Hollis (pictured above) led the Pirates attack and in the first half going against the wind found the net to make it 1-0 in the 23rd minute. Ben Feiler (Bellaire, TX) won the ball just behind midfield and took a few dribbles out on the right flank. He then played an early through ball to a streaking Hollis where he blew by the defender and found a one-on-one opportunity with the Tigers keeper. Hollis curled the ball to his right around the keeper and hit upper 'V' to make it 1-0 Pirates. Fighting against the wind in the first half was difficult and the Tigers quickly answered with a cross that hung in the air and was misjudged and chested in by a Tiger forward. The Tigers had the advantage with the wind out shooting the Pirates 13-3 in the first half.

The second half the Pirates took advantage of the wind and relentlessly attacked the Tigers net. Sophomore Alex Keller (Houston, TX) got pushed up to front run with Hollis from his midfield position and simpy put the Tigers back line under tremendous pressure. Keller's work rate created many scoring chances and dangerous moments but could not connect. Another wind aided ball late in the game at the 87:43 mark somehow got into the back of the Pirates net and even up to the last second the Pirates were attacking but ended up on the losing end 2-1.

In the second half the Pirates out shot the Tigers 14-7 and for the game SU had the edge in corners 3-1. The Pirates move to 3-7 on the year and 2-1 in the SCAC. The Pirates were stunned but will regroup and take on an improved Austin College side on Sunday at Noon at home.

The Pirates met this morning at 11 am to get the junk out of the legs and get a little sweat going. The mood and spirits were high as they are anticipating getting back on the field tomorrow.

Series notes:

Two seasons ago the Pirates had a heartbreaker versus the Kangaroos. The Pirates were handed a 2-1 defeat in Sherman in 2006 were they easily dominated them but ended up on the wrong end. The Pirates out shot the Roos 28-7 and with a 13-3 edge in corners. Current Pirate Josh Spencer tied the match at 1-1 late in the match at the 77th minute. The game went to the second overtime where the Roos cashed in at the 116th minute to end the game.

In 2007, it was a different story. The Pirates took revenge and thumped them 5-0 with current Pirates Josh Spencer scoring 2 goals, David Lozano having a goal and an assist and Preston Hollis adding in a helper in the SCAC victory. The Pirates will look to right the ship and get back in the winning ways in SCAC play tomorrow. This season Austin College is 3-4-1 overall and 0-2 in the SCAC.

check out the SU press release at

http://southwesternpirates.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/spec-rel/100408aaa.html

Reminder: the Annual Pirate Tailgate will follow the Austin College match tomorrow under the Story Tree.

SCAC Showdown Set for 2 PM

Josh Spencer will lead the Pirates into a tough SCAC match vs. the Colorado College Tigers today at 2 PM. The Tigers are 7-1 on the season and are 1-0 SCAC play with a 5-0 win over Millsaps College last weekend. The Tigers are ranked 4th in the NSCAA/adidas West Regional Rankings. The Pirates enter the second weekend of SCAC play at 2-0 and 3-6 overall.

The last three match ups have been close with SU winning 2 of the last 3 games. Last season, the Pirates took a hard fought 1-0 defeat in the icy weather below Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs. The goal came on a penalty kick in the first ten minutes of play and the Pirates faced an up mountain battle for the rest of the day being unable to finish on some good chances in front of net in the second half. The first half the Pirates were out played but the second half the Pirates changed the attitude and just were unable to connect. The Pirate were out shot 23-7 but the corner kicks were more even at 4-3. In 2006, the Pirates got a late goal at the 89th minute from Patrick Dailey to win 2-1. Current Pirate Preston Hollis tied the match at 1-1 on the day where the Pirates out shot the Tigers 13-10 at home. In 2005, the Pirates had another 2-1 win in Colorado Springs with two goals coming from former Pirate Scott Smith.

PIRATE TAILGATE (October 5th)

The Southwestern University Men's Soccer Program will be holding the Annual Pirate Tailgate on October 5th, following the Austin College match that kicks off at Noon.

Go Pirates!

Photo: 2007 tailgate (courtesy Amy O'Neil)

Pirates Reserves 2 - 0 Crusader Reserves

Yesterday, the Pirates Reserves traveled up Interstate 35 to take on the UMHB Crusaders Reserves. The Pirates came home with a 2-0 win. Goals came from Juan Carreon, assisted by Brad Lawrence (Temple, TX) and the other goal came from Ryan Staten (Round Rock, TX). Goalkeeper Matt Elliott (Temple, TX) preserved the shutout for the reserve squad.

The reserves will again be in action this Saturday, October 4 versus the Lonestars White. The kickoff time has been changed to accommodate the SAT Testing schedule and is now slated for 2 PM at home.

The reserves will have a day off and then will be at home on Monday evening, October 6 at 6 PM versus the Georgetown Soccer Association (GSA) 91 team.

Pirates Submerged in Second Half

Southwestern hosted Christopher Newport University (VA) last Friday and lost to the Captains 3-1. The Pirates came out running in the first half and created many scoring chances but a flat second half sunk the pirates.

An early goal gave the Captains a 1-0 lead after the 4th minute but the Pirates played good attacking soccer, having 8 shots in the first half and being awarded 3 corners. The Captains were in a similar boat with 9 shots and 3 corners. After the break, the Pirates just came out a bit flat and paid the price as the Captains stuck two more in the back of the net to put the game out of reach.

The Pirates did fight until the end, where they got a goal from first year forward, Morgan Knobel (College Station, TX). Fernando Leon (Dallas, TX) served a great ball into the box off a corner, where Morgan Knobel skied in the air on the back post to connect on a header that drove the ball past the goalkeeper into the back of the net. In his first collegiate action and minutes of his career, he netted his first collegiate goal. Despite the 3-1 loss it was impressive to see many of the young guys keep competing and fight back to get a goal on the Captains.

The Pirates will be in action on October 3, which starts an important stretch of 4 straight SCAC matches. Friday they play host to the Colorado College Tigers at 2 PM. Then back to the field on Sunday, October 5, at Noon against the Kangaroos of Austin College.

Pirates all Set to Battle the CNU Captains

A non-conference weekend has the Pirates battling the Christopher Newport University (VA) Captains at 5:00 PM tomorrow at home. CNU is in town to get a taste of the top Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) soccer as they also will head to Trinity University for a match on Sunday at 11 AM in San Antonio.

The Pirates had an break from rigors of the season as they had Monday and Tuesday off to catch up on classes and academics. After a great opening SCAC weekend with two victories versus Hendrix and Rhodes, the Pirates got some rest for two days and then had a very hard training session on Wednesday afternoon, where fitness was the theme. A combination of endurance and exhausting sprints saw the grass flying and the ground sounding like a stampede of cattle.

This evening the Pirates were relaxed and in good spirits as the squad played 11 vs. 11 on the game field and sorted out some set piece attacking plays.

Even though it is an off weekend for SCAC play, the atmosphere will be more like a conference game. CNU is a solid squad, with wins over strong teams such as the College of New Jersey and a regionally ranked Roanoke side. They took a 4-1 defeat to nationally ranked #3 York (PA) but the Captains are ranked #7 in the NSCAA South Regional poll. CNU is 6-2-1 on the year and will be a tough test for the Pirates.