Many saw this weekend as a make-or-break proposition for the Dinos men’s soccer team. Here’s to hoping it wasn’t.
After a week off of Canada West action, the Dinos took to the pitch Sun., Oct. 19 against the Trinity Western University Spartans. The Spartans were primed for the match, fresh off a 6-1 shellacking of the University of Lethbrindge Pronghorns two nights earlier. The Dinos’ rust and Trinity’s sharpness showed on the pitch, as the home side stumbled to a 4-1 defeat.
Early lapses proved costly for the Dinos, as they surrendered an early goal to skilled midfielder Mark Peters. The wind began gusting shortly after kickoff, however it brought no change to the Dinos’ fortune as John Remmer drilled a post and Adam MacDonald a crossbar before Peters set up Trevor Rosencras for a 2-0 Spartans lead.
The wind helped Dinos’ fullback Matt Deeprose however, who managed to chip the Spartans keeper from midfield, bringing the crowd to their feet and energizing his bench.
The Spartans lead wasn’t threatened from there on in, as the Dinos endured injuries and a pair of penalty kick goals en route to a decisive and demoralizing defeat.
"It was everything from a lack of concentration to being disorganized which leads to people wandering around," explained Head Coach Andy Gibbs. "We were okay until we missed the chances and the pieces fell into place for them."
"We had a long break [between games] and guys were missing practices with exams and stuff so it was hard to have everyone on the same page," lamented rookie fullback Pablo Romero. "We’re also lacking heart and leadership sometimes. We’re a young team, 14 rookies, and sometimes it shows."
From Oct. 23-26, the Dinos wrap up the season with a West Coast road trip, playing three water-logged games in four days. The playoffs are still a possibility, albeit a slim one, as the Dinos will need to win each of their final three games or get some help from the hapless Pronghorns in order to qualify.
"We knew at the start of the year that it would be difficult to get that third playoff spot, we knew we’d be battling every game," said fourth-year fullback Jon Yumol, one of the squad’s few veterans. "We’re competitive though, we’re as good as any other team, these young guys just need to learn what it takes to get that extra goal or win that extra 50-50 ball. The coast trip should help with that."
Goal Notes:
Gritty Dino Kyle Webber showed what he was made of over the weekend, bouncing back from a freak accident that cut him for five stitches on Friday. Despite the damage to his arm, Webber was still able to take to the pitch for Sunday’s game. Hopefully the trip to the coast is less damaging for the rookie.