There were opportunities for the Wabash soccer team to put Wednesday’s match against DePauw in the win column. However, the Tigers took advantage of two Wabash mistakes, handing the Little Giants a 2-1 loss.
"It seems to be the way things are going to go this year," head coach Roberto Giannini said after the match. "When we make mistakes, other teams turn them into goals. When other teams make mistakes, we don’t take advantage. We had chances today, we just didn’t turn those chances into goals."
Wabash did have chances. After George Padgitt tied the match with a goal in the 30th minute, the junior forward broke free for a second time, only to see his shot deflect off the DePauw goalkeeper and toward the Tiger defenders. (View the photo album from the match.)
Twice in the second half the Little Giants just missed on game-tying attempts. Padgitt fired a shot in the 75th minute glanced off the keeper, but was far enough away from any Wabash player to try and score on the rebound. Only few minutes earlier a header in front of the box beat the goalkeeper and started dipping beneath the crossbar. But two Tiger defenders jumped up to head the ball away from the net.
The Little Giants managed only eight shots, but put seven on the net. Freshman Matt McClain made eight saves.
"If we played all season long with the type of intensity I saw today, we will win some matches," Giannini said. "We need that type of intensity this weekend to start our conference season out the right way.
Wabash (1-7) will try to gain that North Coast Athletic Conference start of its season Saturday morning in an 11 a.m. match against Kenyon College.
Photos - (main sports and soccer pages) George Padgitt turns the corner on the way to scoring the game-tying goal against DePauw.
(above) Ben Esbaum, Luis Quiroga, and Padgitt wait for the incoming pass.