Nationals: here we Come!

Field Hockey loses in ODAC finals, but sees bid to continue with their Cinderella season

Women’s soccer is given a second chance to defend their seventh in the nation ranking

Men’s soccer advances to nationals with a conference win over Washington and Lee

By CARLOS MANTILLO

The Lady Marlins Field Hockey team fell short of winning the 2003 Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championship. On Nov. 8, Eastern Mennonite University destroyed the hopes of a championship by defeating the Lady Marlins 2-1 and avenged a loss from just two weeks before. “Looking back at our season, we have nothing to be ashamed of,” said senior midfielder Summer Foster.

Eastern Mennonite scored the winning goal with three minutes remaining in the game. Wesleyan’s only goal came from freshman forward Laura Weidema. “Basically, it came down to the end and who wanted it more,” said freshman forward Kimmy Bausch. “We knew from the start it would be an even match.”

Controversy ended the game when Wesleyan put the ball into play off of a corner. The referees declared that the ball hit a player’s foot before reaching the trapper. NCAA rules state that a ball into play from a corner passing the 25-yard line is allowed to be played until the team loses possession.

“The ball bounced over the stick,” said Foster. On the road to the championship game, the Lady Marlins played four vital games. Oct. 25, Wesleyan hosted and defeated Bridgewater College, 4-0. All four goals came from freshman players. Weidema had a goal in each half while Megan May and Erica Boyce each contributed one apiece.

Wesleyan played their final regular season game against Eastern Mennonite on Oct. 26. The game was a battle to the end, with Wesleyan coming out on top 3-2. Senior midfielder Jackie Griffin scored two goals, including the winning goal. Senior goalie Margie Baker had 14 saves, which tied her season high. This game gave Wesleyan the number one seed in the ODAC Tournament.

Please see Cinderella, page 16

By MARK HACKETT

The record-breaking season for the Virginia Wesleyan women's soccer team has been extended, thanks to a well -deserved at-large bid into the Division III national tournament by the NCAA committee. "Nobody in the world could have been more excited at that moment than we were," said junior defender Lindsey Coy.

The Lady Marlins, who compiled an 18-2-2 record over this season, were upset Saturday, Nov. 8 by the Generals of Washington and Lee University in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Tournament final by a score of 2-1. Washington and Lee’s win sent the Generals automatically into the NCAA tournament and left the Lady Marlins hoping for one of the three at-large bids that were offered nationwide.

"It was painful, especially watching them celebrate on our field," said Coy. The Lady Marlins went down 2-0 in the first half off of two defensive mistakes, but were fortunate enough to pull within one goal difference after a goal by senior Morgan Gunn. However, the damage was already done as Washington and Lee packed their defense, which prevented the Lady Marlins from scoring another goal.

The ODAC tournament started off well for the Marlins with an 8-0 pasting of Randolph-Macon Woman's College, in which Wesleyan’s starters only played the first twenty minutes. Junior Nicole Hite had a hat-trick and was the only player to score multiple goals. Junior Sharon Hay, senior Megan Bronstein, and freshmen Morgan McCann, Beth Cochenour and Suzanne Wichtel each contributed a goal apiece in the Lady Marlins’ triumph. The win advanced the Wesleyan into the semifinal round where they faced Eastern Mennonite University.

Please see Chance, page 16

By NICOLE HITE

Every team begins its season with the hopes of winning a conference championship. For the Virginia Wesleyan men’s soccer team, five games into the season it seemed like reaching that goal would be like climbing Mount Everest, but the team never lost focus on the goal.

“When we were 3-2 at the beginning of the season,” said senior captain Pat McStay. “I remember telling someone that we were going to have the same, if not better, season than we did last year and the person I was talking to laughed at me.” “I think when we were 3-2, I was worried,” said Head Coach Sonny Travis. “But I also knew that we had so many new faces it was going to take some time for us to improve and be a force in the ODAC.”

Travis was right. It would take some time for the team to get familiar with each other and pull together. What no one realized was it was only going to take five games. The team finished the remainder of the season 10-1 and the favorite to win the conference tournament. “It takes time for a team to jell,” said Assistant Coach Arron Lujan. “We were jelling at the right time.”

As fate would have it, the Marlins had to open the tournament with Lynchburg, the only team to beat them in their 10-1 run. This did not prove to be a problem. Led by sophomores Kelvin Murray and Mark Tribendis, who each had two goals, and Caleb Hill, who contributed one of his own, the Marlins cruised by Lynchburg, 5-1. The next team to stand in the way of the Marlins on their quest to a championship was Randolph-Macon. Tribendis again led the team, scoring two goals, followed by Murray and Pat McStay adding a goal each.

Please see Conference, page 16