Thompson Schollaert (C’22) attempts to steal the ball. Photo by Robert Mohr (C’21).
By Brown Myers
Contributing Writer
Sewanee Men’s soccer began the weekend undefeated, and finished the same way, with a narrow victory over Eastern Mennonite and a draw against Covenant. The team now stands with a record of two wins, a draw, and zero losses.
The first of these highly contested matchups came on Friday, September 6, resulting in a 1-0 win over Eastern Mennonite. Sewanee dominated the game overall, outshooting their opponents 14-5 and controlling possession of the ball for the majority of the game.
Despite all of their efforts, Sewanee was still tied heading in late in the game, mainly due to the efforts of the opposing goalkeeper, Ahmed Zaatar, who ended the game with 5 saves. The breakthrough came in the 88th minute, as Tashinga Vhumisai (C’23) rocketed a solo strike into the upper 90.
Against all of the pressure, Eastern Mennonite still had their chances. The two saves James Murray (C’21) were forced to make were both spectacular, one coming from close range and the other being a flying tip onto the crossbar.
Sewanee deservedly won, but the game was entertaining all throughout, with up and down action from start to finish.
On Saturday, the Tigers stepped on the field again to face off against Covenant College. Sewanee started strong, with Thompson Schoellart’s (C’22) low back post cross finding Austin Young (C’22) to open the game 1-0 in favor of the home side in the ninth minute.
Sewanee continued to fight deep into the game, but a quick counter attack off of a great chance from Sewanee allowed the visitors to tie the game at 1-1 in the 75th minute. The rest of the regular time was rather toothless for both sides, with neither having a shot in the final 15 minutes.
The overtime period, although resulting in no goals, had its fair share of chances. The best of these came when Vhumisai’s volley in front of goal skidded over.
Both goalies put in a great shift for their respective team, as Murray finished with 6 saves for the Tigers, and Paul Lemay wrapped up with 7 saves. The result was frustrating for both teams, as the goals scored didn’t properly reflect the chances created for either team.
The rivalry between the two sides was apparent, as tempers flared between Schoellart and Covenant’s Matt Morefield, resulting in a talking to from the official for both players. The two sides have met nine times since 2012, and will look to continue this competitive matchup next time.
Sewanee will look to continue their undefeated season next weekend, as they travel to East Texas Baptist and LeTourneau. Despite the great start, the team still has lots of room for growth, with multiple underclassmen getting playing time early. So as this group of young stars grow, the community can only help the team grow.