Season in Review

The Wittenberg University men’s soccer team came into the 2002 season with the highest of high hopes. After a unifying trip to England in August just prior to the season and two encouraging scrimmages, including one against eventual national runner-up Otterbein, things looked to be in order for an oustanding run toward a North Coast Athletic Conference title and possibly even beyond. But injuries, bad luck and bad bounces combined to derail the season almost before it started.

Brian Armstrong Takes a Penalty Kick

Brian Armstrong takes a penalty kick during a win over Wabash.
Setting the Scene:
The Wittenberg University men’s soccer team came into the 2002 season with the highest of high hopes. After a unifying trip to England in August just prior to the season and two encouraging scrimmages, including one against eventual national runner-up Otterbein, things looked to be in order for an oustanding run toward a North Coast Athletic Conference title and possibly even beyond. But injuries, bad luck and bad bounces combined to derail the season almost before it started.

The Tigers opened the season with a pair of two-goal defeats to NAIA scholarship programs from Walsh and Ohio Dominican, followed by an overtime loss to another NAIA scholarship program from Cedarville. It was the first of seven one-goal losses in the season, against just three one-goal wins.

Despite starting the season with just two wins in the first 12 games, the Tigers did manage to finish strong and make a late run at the NCAC tournament, which includes the top four teams in a playoff format. Wittenberg won five of its last six games, including a scintillating Homecoming win over nationally ranked and eventual NCAC tournament champion Ohio Wesleyan on Oct. 12. While the Tigers finished with a 5-4 mark in the extremely competitive NCAC, which included four of the top 10 teams in the Great Lakes Region, the late push wasn’t enough as they wound up in sixth place.



Mike Walsh heads toward the goal

Mike Walsh heads toward the goal.
Postseason Honors:
Three members of the Wittenberg men’s soccer team, which finished the 2002 season with five wins in its last six games to end up 5-4 in the NCAC and 7-10-1 overall, earned All-North Coast Athletic Conference honors. Senior forward Brian Armstrong (Delaware, Ohio/Dublin Coffman) was rewarded for his hard work and NCAC-leading 34 total points with a first-team designation, the first of his career. Junior midfielder Steve Doring (Dayton, Ohio/Wayne) and senior midfielder Matt Lapish (Grosse Point Farms, Mich./South)both were named to the second team.

Armstrong added a third-team All-Great Lakes Region honor, a second-team All-Ohio Division III award and first-team Academic All-Ohio as well. Doring was also honored third-team All-Ohio to his haul of awards.

Classy Seniors:
The Wittenberg men’s soccer program bids adieu to an outstanding senior class that numbers five, four of whom started much of the 2002 season.

Armstrong led the NCAC in scoring in 2002 and had a stellar career in which he played in 53 games the last three years and scored 23 goals and 10 assists for a total of 56 points. Midfielder Matt Lapish rounded out his career by playing 53 games the last three years and finishing with 19 total points on eight goals and three assists. Midfielder Stefan Christman (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman) played two years for Wittenberg after transferring to the school as a junior. He 31 games the last two years and had five goals and seven assists overall for 17 points. ForwardJosh Hains (Granger, Ind./Clay) appeared 26 games and scored two goals, both in his sophomore season.

Rounding things out is sweeper Josh Curtis (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman), who was so versatile he even took his turn in goal in 2002. He lettered all four years and finished with 66 games played, three goals and 13 assists for 19 total points.

Youth Movement:
The Tiger men’s soccer team had a nice mix of youth and experience in 2002, and that should be the same story again next year. That said, a host of underclassmen made their mark in 2002, laying an outstanding foundation for future success.

Start with the freshman class. Making the most significant impact were a trio of offensive-minded midfielders, Jesse King (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland), Andrew Stewart (Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne) and Matt Berry (Tipp City, Ohio/Tippecanoe). King appeared in 13 games off the bench, providing significant energy and two goals on eight shots. Berry started eight of the 16 games in which he appeared, contributing three goals on 21 total shots. He was credited with the game-winning goal against Muskingum. Stewart started 13 of the team’s 18 games and appeared in every one. He finished with one goal and five assists, third-most on the team.

Other freshman to see limited varsity action in 2002 were goaltender Matt Pentiuk (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster), midfielder Levi Van Reeth (Norwich, Ohio/John Glenn), midfielder Joe Schmees (Loveland, Ohio/Milford) and midfielder Matt Doerfler (Toledo, Ohio/St. Francis DeSales).

The sophomore class includes five players who got varsity opportunities in 2002, including one starter, forward Cliff Cannon (Gahanna, Ohio/Wellington). Cannon finished with two goals and one assist in 18 games, including 13 starts. Other sophomores included defenders Matt Arnzen (Fort Wright, Ky./Covington Catholic), Kyle Bacon (Rocky River, Ohio/Rocky River) and Joe York (Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade-Julienne), who started three games, and midfielder Jason Ziegler (Waukesha, Wisc./West).

The Coach:
Steve Dawson ends his 20th year guiding the Tigers with a record of 207-140-17. Under Dawson’s guidance, the Tigers have won at least seven games in each of his 20 seasons and have advanced to the NCAA Division III tournament four times (1991, ’92, ’93 and ’96). The Tigers have won at least four games every year in the NCAC, considered one of the toughest soccer conferences in the nation, and the 1993 team tied for the NCAC championship.