We have returned from our first two back-to-back away games with plenty to be proud of, and also to learn from.

Out of the 22 players we took on the road, 11 were freshmen. Eight of them, together with two sophomores and one junior, started against Aurora and nine in the game vs Chicago. Two different games with two different approaches by pretty much the same players. We lost against Aurora and tied with Chicago a match we clearly controlled and in which we had the best opportunities to score. Chicago scored after our one and lonely mishap in the back. As I don't believe Aurora is better than the University of Chicago, one simple question kept popping in my mind over and over again: "what's the reason behind such a clearly skewed performance?"

As everything that grows, gets better, changes, and improves we have to keep in mind, myself first, that the players who step on the pitch against mature and experienced opponents were just playing high school soccer less than a year ago. And no matter how talented and/or competitive they are, and they certainly are, college soccer, especially at the Div III level is very physical, intense, demanding, and mentally challenging.
We had a timid first 45' against Aurora and that can be expected, especially this early in the season, where we can't really tell who we are and where we are gong to go in the next two months, and with so many young players on the pitch at the same time. Nevertheless, we played the remaining 45' in secure and confident fashion, and with a tremendous desire to score and win.

We are training hard, learning how to play with each other, and mostly how to trust each other on and off the pitch. I see our immediate and long term future very tough, challenging indeed, but also bright, rewarding, and fulfilling.

As long as we stay united and compacted and EVERYONE in the program keeps the common goal at the forefront of their individual success, we may experience some growing pains but time is on our side and the more time goes by the stronger, more mature, and experienced we will get - right when we need it most!

Wednesday, we travel to Rose-Hulman to play the Fighting Engineers. Another road game that can offer us another piece of the puzzle to figure out who we are and what we can do away from Crawfordsville. I am confident in our players, their young hearts and their desire to claim their history within the Wabash Soccer Program. They are its promising present and exciting future.

Keep up the good work, lads, the future is ours!!

WAF.
Coach G.