The men's soccer season came to a close on Wednesday with a tough loss on the road to Rose Hulman Institue of Technology. Heading into the game, we felt it might be a game we would be competitive in as they are a team very similar to our own: some tough losses on the year and a real struggle to find the back of the net.

We had a couple of great chances in the first 10 minutes, as junior Dan Lau and senior Larry Kociolek both missed on great looks at the goal. We conceded two goals on counter attacks in the first half and fell behind 0-2.

The second half was a mirror image of the first half as we controlled the play for the most part, outshooting our opponents by a large margin but were unable to find the goal. Once again, we were countered against twice for the final four goal margin.

Looking back at the season, it is easy to see our 5-11-2 record and think we made no gains as a team. I think two great outcomes for the season were that we created a hard-working, never-say-die attitude in the squad. The boys always battled until the end, regardless of the score or how much time was left on the clock. I hope this will bode well for the future as developing a good attitude is always a tough challenge.

The second outcome of the season was that every person on the team had a chance to play and show his abilities on the field. The coaching staff has a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of all 17 returning players and can focus on improving both during the upcoming off season training. I can assure you that the team will work very hard in the weight room, in our off season conditioning sessions, and playing indoor during the winter months to improve their respective games.

We will be hitting the recruiting trail in earnest this off season as increasing our pool of strikers and midfielders will be a top priority for the Class of 2006. The good news is we have several very good players in the mix already and I am optimistic about the direction of the program. IWU has fabulous facilities and a quality academic program in addition to our great soccer facilities, so I am certain that when recruits see all we have to offer they will be hard pressed to find a better college option. Stay tuned!

Thanks for your continued interest in Titan soccer!

Until next season, all the best.

Dave Barrett
Men's and Women's Soccer Coach
Illinois Wesleyan University
(309) 556-3343