Pirates Open SCAC Play with a Bang

The Pirates returned home from Conway and Memphis with 2 victories and 6 points and atop of the SCAC standings after the first weekend of conference matches with a 1-0 win vs. Hendrix and an 8-2 pounding vs. #7 NSCAA regionally ranked Rhodes College.

On Friday evening, in the SCAC opener for Southwestern, the Pirates faced a new Hendrix team that saw 9 of the 11 starters for the Warriors being freshmen under new head coach, Doug Mello. The Pirates once again dominated play but struggled to find the net.

Preston Hollis (Austin, TX) was a threat all night as the senior forward ran around the defenders for the entire match. Hollis recorded three shots and had his best chance of the evening when he got loose to beat a defender about 20 yards out and then got inside the six where he tried a toe poke that was just deflected by the Hendrix keeper to preserve the tie. For the second match in a row Alex Keller (Houston, TX) was involved in the game winning goal. This time at the 78:52 the Pirates won another throw in in the attacking third. Keller stepped up to launch a throw inside the six just inside the post, where the Hendrix goalkeeper decided to try and catch it at the peak of his jump. The ball hit his hands and slipped through which ended up going across the line and in the back of the net to be the game winner. The Pirates out shot the Warriors 10-6 and had the advantage 10-4 in corners. Senior Ryan Tasin recorded his second shutout (being credited with 2 saves) of the season in the 1-0 victory. (Picture below: the Pirates enjoying the win after the match)


Saturday the Pirates chartered into Memphis and had a chance to check out the Lynx facilities. As Sunday rolled in, the Pirates were looking to improve upon Friday night and finish their chances right away. The Pirates were up to the challenge and made the Lynx want to hit the showers early.

Just 11 minutes into the match JR Nathan Shaw-Meadow (San Antonio, TX) played a ball over the top of the back four to an on running David Lozano (Austin, TX). Senior Lozano rounded the keeper and slotted the ball into the net for the first goal of the match. Fourteen minutes later Lozano scored his second goal of the match, Alex Keller pushed a ball through for where Davi hit a breakaway finish past a diving keeper to the far post.

Then Rhodes answered with a goal just under two minutes later from a defensive miscue but Senior Preston Hollis decided to take matters into his own hands after he received a big diagonal ball from Shaw-Meadow who was credited with his second assist of the match. A minute later after their goal, Hollis took one touch and shot it past the goalkeeper for a 3-1 lead and also recorded his first game winning goal of the season.

The Pirates then scored another 4 goals to end the half at 7-1. Nathan Shaw-Meadow got into the goal column as Alex Keller served a ball across the box where senior Josh Spencer (Huntsville, TX) was able to track it down, he layed it off to Shaw-Meadow. Nathan, on top of the 18, chopped the ball once to his left and then again onto his right foot where he slapped a ball on frame in the upper right corner to make it 4-1. At the 34th minute, sophomore Tim Hord (Kingwood, TX) then took another diagonal ball behind the back four from Shaw-Meadow (his third assist of the match) where he took a touch to spin the defender and took a left footed shot that got deflected off the keeper but the save was not good enough to stop as it found its way to the net.

The scoring did not end there, in the last 11 minutes of the half the Pirates added two more goals. Sophomore Tom Holleman (Houston, TX) rifled a ball in the box that had a small deflection which popped the ball in the air. Josh Spencer out jumped the keeper to head hit home for a 6-1 lead. To finish off the scoring in the first half, the Pirates earned a throw in, where first year Ryan Staten (Round Rock, TX) was able to control it and move past a defender where he passed the ball to first year Althorp Arandela (Corpus Christi, TX) along the top of the box. Arandela turned to find Shaw-Meadow towards the left side of the box and ripped a left foot shot to the near post for a 7-1 lead after 45 minutes of play.

In the second half, the Pirates ended the scoring for the eighth goal at the 51st minute, as Josh Spencer found Preston Hollis on a through ball where Hollis was able to run at the keeper on a breakaway. As the keeper came out Hollis played a nifty chip that sailed over the goalkeeper just hitting off the crossbar. David Lozano followed up the ball as he was unmarked and able to head the ball in on the goal line for an 8-1 lead. The Pirates gave up an own goal that still gave them an 8-2 SCAC victory and another win in SCAC play.

David Lozano ended up with a hat trick and that gave him his fourth goal of the season, as well as Nathan Shaw-Meadow having a career day with 2 goals and three assists for 7 points. Hollis added a goal and an assist, as well as Alex Keller chipping in 2 helpers along with his game winning goal vs. Hendrix for the weekend.

It was the first time that Southwestern has defeated Rhodes College on their field in Memphis. Congratulation to the seniors and the team for this accomplishment.

The Pirates now sit tied for first place atop the SCAC at 2-0 with 6 points and with a 3-5 overall record.

Your Pirates will again be action at home Friday, September 26 for a non-conference opponent in Christopher Newport (VA) at 5:00 PM.

Check out the Pirates press release at http://southwesternpirates.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/spec-rel/092308aab.html