SOCCER HAWKS SPLIT GLVC MATCHES…

On Friday, September 11 the Soccer Hawks won a 2-1 thriller over rival Rockhurst in the second Sudden Death overtime period. Jack Wedemeier (junior from Cape Girardeau MO Notre Dame HS) scored the game winner racing in from the left wing to redirect a nifty centering pass from Ryan Hirtz (junior from St. Dominic HS, O’Fallon MO) who had just pulled a great move in the right corner to elude two defenders. The goal was Wedemeier’s second of the night and his third of the young season. Jack had opened the scoring with a great head shot with just 50 seconds remaining in the first half. Jack’s header was set up by a terrific 50 yard cross field pass from Tyler Easley (sophomore from Summit HS, Fenton MO) who picked up a ball cleared out of the Rockhurst penalty area following a Hawk corner kick attempt. Easley hit a long arching ball to the outside of the far post and Jack nodded in from about 12 yards away. Rockhurst’s goal came in the 60t6h minute on a penalty kick knotting the score at one apiece until the Hirtz-Wedemeier heroics. Rockhurst had pressured the QU back line all night but they, and goal keeper Kyle Dillman (senior from La Follette HS, Madison WI) held strong throughout the contest.

On Saturday, September 12, the Soccer Hawks traveled to Springfield MO for a Sunday match with “top of the conference” Drury University as the undefeated host team. A very fine Drury team defeated the Hawks 2-0 but it seemed obvious that the physical fatigue and emotional stress from the Friday night win over Rockhurst had also taken the spark out of QU’s step as they couldn’t keep up with the Drury Panther’s who had won fairly easily 5-0 playing at home on the previous Friday on their artificial turf field. For the second match in a row and 3rd game in the first 5 a Hawk defender was whistled for a first half foul in the PA and the resulting PK was drilled home leaving Hawk keeper Kyle Dillman no chance at a save. About midway through the second half another Hawk defender was ‘whistled up” for a foul just outside the Penalty Area and the Drury player who nail the first half penalty kick chipped this foul kick re-start over the Hawk defending wall and into the upper 90 degree angle of the goal. This was the second time this year that this Drury goal scored had knocked in both a PK and a shot over the wall in the same game. (The Drury match was the second played this year on an artificial surface and both have proved bothersome to the Hawks who have not adapted to it so well. Two more important away games come up in early October on similar artificial surfaces and it is hoped that the QU players can adapt a bit better in those.) As of today the Hawks are 2-3 -0 overall and 1-1 in GLVC action.

Beginning Wednesday 9/16 the Hawks face three matches within 5 days. On Wednesday the Hawks go over to Hannibal MO to face NAIA non-league Hannibal-LaGrange College in a 4 PM match. Then on Friday 9/18 (7:30 PM kickoff) the hawks are at home to GLVC foe Missouri S & T who are currently 2-0-1 in Conference play, and then on Sunday 9/20 (2:30 PM kickoff) close out the week at home to Maryville currently 0-3 in GLVC play. This is also the weekend for the reunion of the 1977-81 NAIA National Championship teams who will be introduced at halftime on both Friday and Sunday and who will be honored with a dinner in the QU Café Saturday night 9/19.

For the record, the Hawks are pretty banged up right now. Perhaps not mentioned previously was the loss of last season’s leading goal scorer Grant Ellison (junior from St. Dominic HS O’Fallon MO) in the first half of the second game this season to three broken bones in his foot due to a very hard tackle he received. Grant was being counted on for anywhere between 12 and 15 goals this campaign but now is lost for the season. Andy Kling (senior defender from DeSmet HS St. Louis MO) has yet to play a game so far due to hamstring and hip injuries. Numerous other players are nursing various ankle and leg “knocks” keeping them playing in some degree of pain and discomfort. Perhaps this is a good time to rehash the old slogan, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going”.

GO HAWKS…a lot of people care about you and are pulling for you. Like Liverpool…You’ll never walk alone!