The H-SC Tiger » Soccer

Soccer Season Ends on a High Note

admin — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 01:37:04 +0000

Junior defender Curran Blackwell tied for the team lead in goals with 6

The Hampden-Sydney soccer team’s regular season ended on October 25^th on an emotional Senior Day at Miller Field. Going into the final day of the season, the Tigers needed a win and some help to qualify for the playoffs. To do that, the Tigers would have to best the conference leading Roanoke College Maroons. After a high energy first half, the teams were knotted at zero with chances at both ends. However, the Tigers went ahead on a Bryan Wharton goal in the 74^th minute that slotted right under the Roanoke keeper’s outstretched arms and rolled into the net. Over the final minutes, the Tigers weathered a storm of Roanoke shots to hold on for the victory. Despite the win, Virginia Wesleyan qualified for the postseason over Hampden-Sydney by nature of the Marlins head-to-head victory over Hampden-Sydney. Regardless of the loss, the Tigers have a lot to look forward to next year as they finished with a 9-8 overall record, 4-6 in conference and also finished with an excellent 8-2 record at home.

On the individual side, three players led the Tigers in scoring in the 2011 campaign. Senior forward Bryan Wharton, junior defender Curran Blackwell and freshman midfielder James Lawrence all netted six goals over the course of the year. Midfielders Bo Burns and Nick DeProspero tied for the team lead in assists with five during the season. Another big offensive contributor was sophomore midfielder Bryan Talbert who finished fifth in overall points, scoring three goals and adding four assists. On the other end of the field, senior goalkeeper Duncan Oliphant anchored the Tiger defense, saving 77.4% of shots he faced for a GAA of 1.34, good for third and seventh in the conference respectively. As a team, the Tiger defense allowed 1.41 goals per game, and with three of four starters from the back line returning next season, the defense should be solid yet again.

After the victory, the eight seniors from the team were honored with a ceremony celebrating the player’s achievements. The senior class was one of the most successful classes in program history. They won 45 games, 22 in conference, and reached the program’s second ever conference championship in 2010. Coach Josh Laux looks to replicate the senior classes’ success in the years to come.

Soccer Off to Rollercoaster Start

admin — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 02:56:29 +0000

The Hampden-Sydney soccer team started the 2011 season off on September 3^rd with an 8-0 beat down of Berkley (NJ) and finished the weekend up with a 5-1 rout of future ODAC conference foe Shenandoah University. After such a high-powered start to the season, the Tigers were riding high, but they would be brought back down to earth after two consecutive losses to Mary Washington and Maryville (TN).

Despite the setbacks, the Tigers are looking to duplicate the success of last season, where they made it to the ODAC Championship before losing to eventual national runner-up Lynchburg. The Tigers were picked to finish fourth in the conference and also received three first place votes. Eighth year head coach Josh Laux, who already has the second most wins in program history, looks to lead the Tigers back to post-season success during the 2011 campaign.

The Tigers are led by senior forward and team captain Bryan Wharton ’12 who led the conference in scoring in 2010 with twelve goals and four assists and was also named First Team All-ODAC. Wharton is considered by many to be a prime candidate for ODAC Player of the Year in 2011. Wharton has five points on the year so far, scoring twice and adding an assist. The Tigers have another All-ODAC first team member in midfielder Nick DeProspero ‘13, who led the league in assists with nine and also added three goals. So far in 2011, DeProspero has scored twice and assisted on two more goals. Also adding offensive firepower is Chris Whiteside ‘13, who scored six goals in 2010. Freshman James Lawrence has also scored twice for the Tigers, once against Berkeley and once against Shenandoah.

The back line for the Tigers is led by junior Curran Blackwell (second team All-ODAC) who, in addition to his offensive prowess (five goals and an assist), will anchor a Tiger defense that lost three key contributors to graduation. Alongside Blackwell is sophomore Jackson Parker, senior Gregorio Pacheco, and sophomore Caleb Watkins. Arguably the hardest player to replace will be goalkeeper John Robert Plyer, who graduated in second place in both saves (288) and shutouts (23). To replace Plyer, the Tigers have been utilizing a two keeper system: senior Duncan Oliphant starts the first half and freshman Jeff Bone starts the second half.

The Tigers’ next game will be September 14 at Virginia Wesleyan followed by a home game against Greensboro on September 17. ODAC play begins on September 24 as the Tigers travel to Lexington to play the Generals of Washington and Lee.

Soccer Team’s Historic Run Comes to a Close

admin — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:14:07 +0000

While the football team is making a run at an undefeated season, the soccer team has been creating quite the stir of its own. With Head Coach Josh Laux keeping the student body informed of the team’s success and upcoming events through school-wide emails, a buzz was generated around the Hill. The exciting, well-attended game against Randolph Macon pushed the team to 12-2 and wins in four out of their next five games, leading up to the ODAC semifinals vs. Lynchburg. The only loss in that five game stretch was a 2-1 double overtime loss to Lynchburg. The Tigers looked to avenge that loss in an ODAC tournament semifinal matchup with the Hornets.

The semifinal matchup was another game for the ages. President Howard, the Deans, and a large portion of the student body were out to support the Tigers as they faced a pesky Lynchburg squad. After getting several good chances in the first half, the Tigers finally capitalized when Nick DeProspero scored on an assist from Freshman Brandon Haynes. This would lead to a 1-0 Tiger lead at the half. Both teams seemed to come out with a new intensity in the second half and it showed on the field.

Hampden-Sydney goalkeeper John Robert Plyler was terrific as he had been all season. The Hornets had several shots drew gasps from the crowd before we were all able to exhale after amazing saves from Plyler. Despite his great play, the Hornets took a lead before anyone knew what had happened. A long cross into the box led to an easy goal, headed in by Michael Abbonizio who somehow got behind the Tiger defense. Only seven minutes later, Lynchburg was able to score another goal on a ball deflected off a hardworking Tiger defender. Just like that it was 2-1, and that’s how it would end. The Tigers certainly had their chances to tie it up, but several attempts were just wide of the goal.

Almost as impressive as the Tigers efforts this season was the overwhelming support they received from the entire H-SC community. President Howard called for all students and members of the H-SC family to attend the 2:30 p.m. semi-final matchup. Teachers even let their students out early to cheer on their classmates (the nice ones at least). After 2 hours of cheering on the Tigers and a little bit of heckling the Hornets, the fans were just as disappointed as the team. As the teams were shaking hands Head Coach Josh Laux saw something he never expected after a loss. In a school-wide email Coach Laux stated, “I was completely overwhelmed by your support of our team yesterday. I have never seen a losing team get that kind of reception before in my life. When the game was over and I was about to address the team I turned around and saw almost the entire crowd staring me in the face. When you all made a circle around us I got choked up and for once in my life was completely speechless.”
Coach Laux was right in describing the scene. Lynchburg did not know how to react as the losing team’s fans, led by President Howard, lined up on the field and applauded both teams’ efforts. Laux went on to say, “Hampden-Sydney is one of the few places where this type of support is a reality…Today was one of those days that just reminds us what a special place we are all a part of.”

These words should remind us that while athletic events very often get heated and intense, we are representing Hampden-Sydney College and the tradition of the Hampden-Sydney gentleman in both victory and defeat.

Sydney Outlasts Macon in Double Overtime

admin — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:47:36 +0000

Tigers finish in dramatic fashion in ODAC match-up with rival R-MC

It was a cold, rainy Wednesday afternoon but that was not going to slow down the Tigers’ domination on the soccer field. Entering the rivalry game against the Yellow Jackets of Randolph Macon, the Tigers had won seven games in a row and were 11-2 (4-1 ODAC) overall. The final outcome was a 1-0 double overtime victory for Hampden-Sydney.

Despite the close score, it could have very easily been a lopsided win for the Tigers. They dominated ball control, with Bryan Wharton pacing the attack. Behind timely passing and fancy footwork, Wharton generated many first half chances for the Tigers. He was all over the field and his early supremacy foreshadowed an epic outcome.

Wharton had chances at the 20:35 and 8:35 marks but could not quite find the back of the net. However, he and his teammates continued to give themselves opportunities. A few more near goals came as the first half came to an end. The team was hungry and the fans were hungry. Everyone knew that this was Hampden-Sydney’s game to win.

The second half was more of the same with the Tigers keeping the ball on their side of the field. Wharton presented himself with two more chances at the 18:15 and 8:49 marks after slicing and dicing through defenders, but still no scores. The fans were getting rowdy, the Yellow Jackets were getting tired, and the Tigers were starving for a goal.

At the beginning of overtime the team’s #1 fan decided it was time to put this thing away. President Chris Howard jogged over to the team to give them the extra motivation they needed to pull away for the victory. Jogging back, Dr. Howard pumped up the students with a yell of “Go Tigers!” and any doubt that the Tigers were going to win was forgotten.

The winning goal came at the 5:21 mark in the second overtime. And very fittingly, sophomore Bryan Wharton came up with the score. Hustling as he had been all game, Wharton and friends worked the ball into the box and when the goalie deflected one Wharton shot, he kicked another one right past him for the winning shot. It was quite a scene as the game’s MVP ripped his shirt off and ran around being chased by teammates. The student section joined in on the celebration and the cold was forgotten.

After a homecoming match up with Guilford at 3pm, Hampden-Sydney finishes out the season with 3 more conference games. They will hope to remain hot and carry a #1 ranking into the ODAC tournament, with quarterfinal play beginning Halloween day.

Soccer Squad Looks to Continue Strong ODAC Showing

admin — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:09:24 +0000

The Hampden-Sydney soccer team is off to a 7-2 overall and 2-1 ODAC start for the 2009 season. At this point in time last season, the Tigers were 5-3 overall and 1-1 ODAC. The team’s great start this season can be attributed to great leadership, a tremendous amount of talent, and the team’s cohesiveness. Senior captains John Tait and Will Robertson and junior captain J.R. Plyle have been some of the cornerstones of this year’s squad. There are also a number of returners who are having immediate impacts for the team such as Bryan Wharton, who has 5 goals for the season. On defense Matt Swaney, Brett Chonko, and Sam Turner have been keeping attackers at bay.

Sam Turner, a junior defender from Richmond, VA says, “this season is going really well, and if we get two more wins, we should have a 9-2 record, which would be the best starting record ever for the soccer team. At the end of the season last year, we lost captain Will Robertson to injury, but we have standout freshmen Nick Deprospero and Curren Blackwell that have stepped up to the challenge.” He also added that the Tigers are leading the ODAC with only 5 goals allowed. Brett Chonko, a senior defender from Farmville, VA says “Our experience in the back and at midfield has been crucial to our success and it shows by the fact that we have only given up 5 goals in 9 games.

Players such as Bryan Hughes and Bryan Wharton have been great contributors to the season so far, and will be vital down the stretch. Freshmen Nick Deprospero and Chris Whiteside have had immediate impacts in the progress of the team, and will only get stronger as the season progresses.” The Hampden-Sydney Soccer team will definitely be in the hunt for an ODAC title this season. This year’s team has all qualities and talent that should serve them well in the playoffs. Come out and support the Tigers at home as they take on Mary Washington at 3:00 PM on October 2nd and Randolph Macon on October 14th at 4:00 PM.

H-SC Soccer On the Prowl

admin — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:00:36 +0000

After a disappointing 2-1 loss to Roanoke in the semifinals of last year’s ODAC Tournament, the Soccer Tigers enter the 2009 season ranked 4th in the preseason standings. Receiving one first place vote, the Tigers are ranked behind Roanoke, Virginia Wesleyan, and Lynchburg.

Depth will be a key to the Tigers’ success as they return with much experience, as well as many capable freshmen. The freshmen class for the ’09 Soccer Tigers is believed by some to be one of the most skilled classes ever. Junior Captain and goalkeeper John Robert Plyler has been very impressed with the play of the freshmen.

After a few weeks of practice, Plyler is confident in saying, “We brought in one of the best freshman classes we have ever had, and most of the incoming freshmen are skilled.” Some of the freshmen that will look to make an immediate impact are Nick Deprospero, a forward from Midlothian, Curran Blackwell, a defender from Wilson, NC, and Brandon Haynes, a Midfielder from Raleigh, NC.

Along with the incoming freshmen, the upperclassmen will provide a lot of experience and depth. Along with Plyler, the captains will be seniors Christoper Tait and Will Robertson. These leaders will help to emphasize hard work in practice in order to out-prepare their opponents. Plyler hopes and expects to “shock teams with our work rate and willingness to work hard to win.”

Along with an intense work ethic, the Tigers will rely on a certain on-field attitude to help propel them to victory each time they step onto the pitch. As Plyler puts it, “To be able to be top ranked in the ODAC we need to treat every game as if it were our last and take the season day by day. We need to come ready to play every game, showing up with the same mentality and drive to do whatever it takes to win.”

The Tigers finished 12-6-1 last year, with a 6-3-1 record in conference. Even with six losses, the largest defeat they suffered was by only two goals. After such a narrow defeat to now top-ranked Roanoke, the confidence of the team is very high. Plyler believes that the team can be very successful as long as they “have fun and always try to be positive.”