By Ashley Walls
Sports Editor
Despite a 5-2 lost to #22-ranked Campbellsville University on Oct. 17, the Asbury men’s soccer team has a reason to be proud.
“I feel like we came together against Campbellsville,” freshman Austin O’Brien said. “We proved that we are quality enough of a team to play with anybody. It was an extremely competitive game, and I thought we definitely held our own.”
Senior Caleb Griffin agreed. “I was very proud of hour our team played against Campbellsville,” Griffin said. “Both teams were slipping and sliding everywhere, but we didn’t let it affect our determination to fight.”
And fight they did for 90 minutes, even in the chilling 50 degree weather on a slippery, muddy field. Campbellsville player Kevon Farquharson scored first for either team five minutes into the game, but junior Adam Howard answered with a goal of his own twenty minutes later.
It looked like a tie game for the halftime scpre, but Campbellsville player Ryan Foster scored another goal for the Tigers, making the score at half-tome 2-1.
The Eagles carried their first-half momentum into the second half, even after Dru Sin from Campbellsville put a third goal in the net for the Tigers just minutes into playing time.
Junior Chris Israel fought back with a goal a few minutes later, making the score 4-2. After that, the Tigers went on a 2-0 scoring drive, giving the Eagles a 5-2 loss.
“I thought we worked hard,” sophomore Jesse Peterson said. “We created a lot of chances consistently throughout the match.”
Junior Stephen Mitchell agreed Peterson on the the effort put in by Asbury’s team.
“We fought hard for 90 minutes,” said Mitchell. “Though we did not get the win, I was encouraged with our performance. We produced great chances to score against a top 25-ranked opponent and we stopped their main attack on defense.”
The Eagles will play again on Oct. 26 when they face Georgetown College at home at 7 p.m. As the Eagles go into their last few games of the regular season, the team will be thinking about post-season play.
“Though our record is not the best in the conference,” Mitchell said. “I anticipate us winning the conference tournament and making our first national tournament appearance in Asbury history.”
Junior Adam Howard is confident this could be the year the men’s soccer team makes history at Asbury.
“Our expectations are the same as the beginning of the season,” Howard said. “We want to get to the national tournament. We have the team to do it, and there is no reason why we shouldn’t be there this year.”
Peterson and O’Brien agreed with Howard. “Every year our men’s program has a history of improving itself, and this year is no different,” O’Brien said. “I see our team doing very well in post-season play.”
“I think anything short of winning conference would be a disappointment,” Peterson said.