Lions roar with heart, dedication
By
Eric Scott

Staff Writer

Men s soccer rolls forward this year with a match-up Friday against Central Arkansas.

The Lions are 1-2-1 this year with a victory against St. Joseph s and a tie with the University of Indianapolis.

The Sept. 13 game against Indianapolis started off with a goal by Missouri Southern at 39:24 in the first half. IU then took the lead with two consecutive goals at 58:07 and 65:03 of the second half. Southern bounced back by scoring a goal at 89:58 in the second half as the Lions tied Indianapolis, 2-2.

 I thought we played great against Indianapolis,  said Geoff VanDeusen, head coach.  We showed a lot of heart by scoring a goal with two seconds left. It was definitely a great game to watch as a spectator because both teams played excellent. 

VanDeusen said if they had stayed in the game the full 90 minutes instead of going flat for 15 minutes, they could have won.

 We could have more wins in the column,  VanDeusen said,  but I think we ve improved every time we ve stepped on the field. 

VanDeusen said the reason for the improvement is the overall team effort and the standout play of freshmen Jacob Osborne, Patrick Hill and Zac Zalewski.

 They haven t played like freshmen,  he said.  Our young players playing well is a big key to our success this season. 

 We ve been playing really great as of late,  said Hill, defensive midfielder.  We ve been playing very strong in the midfield, and we ve been making effective passes. 

VanDeusen said the team is still young and needs to be able to put the ball in the net in order to win the close games. Hill said the team needs to improve on its finishing abilities to be a success.

 Going into Friday s game, I think we re the underdog because we ve never defeated Central Arkansas,  VanDeusen said.  We need to be physical and stick to our game plan, and we need to stay close the whole game.

 The key to the season is execution. With our good talent, we need to continue to execute in high fashion and stay healthy.