By Tommy Odonnel
odonnel@grinnell.edu
Both the men’s and women’s soccer teams recorded victories over tough Nebraska Wesleyan University on Saturday, Sept. 17. The men’s team, coached by Brian Jaworski, came out on with a final score of 2-1. Not only did this stretch their winning streak to three matches, but it was also Jaworski’s 100th win as head coach at Grinnell — a milestone he was confident he would achieve.
“If you do things the right way in Division III, coaches tend to stay with teams a long time,” Jaworski said. “When you get to coaching position like the one I have, it tends to become your life, and you’re not interested in seeing what’s greener on the other side.”
While this 100th win has been highly anticipated, the team is nevertheless excited for their coach.
“Coach Jaws [Jaworski] is awesome. He has immense soccer experience, and he really takes care of his guys on and off the field, and it’s huge for him,” Nick Brule ’17 said. “And I am glad that I have been able to be a part of it for the last four years. He’s going to keep winning and doing his stuff because he is good at it.”
The men’s team also swept the Midwest Conference’s top individual honors this week, with Brule and Major May ’17 being named the offensive and defensive performers of the week, respectively.
The match itself was certainly a tale of two halves as Grinnell dominated the first half and secured a commanding 2-0 lead going into half time. Nebraska fought back in the second, but a solid defensive showing helped Grinnell see the match out and record their third consecutive victory.
“I thought our first half went really well,” Brule said. “We came out strong, and we played really fast and we pressed them really hard, which is what we wanted to do, and it seemed to pay off. Second half was a little rougher, but we were able to lock down defensively and ultimately get the win.”
With the conference season almost upon them, the team is looking to improve on certain parts of their performance. Jaworski pointed to passing speed and a willingness to receive the ball as areas the team could work on.
“I’m too old to play now, but if I was on the pitch, I would still be asking for the ball,” Jaworski said.
In spite of these areas of improvement, the team feels as though they are ready for what lies ahead.
“Our team chemistry is great right now; it has been one of the best parts for sure. I think if we execute our system, we will win matches,” said goalkeeper Jared Cloutier ’20.
The women’s team also scored against the Nebraska Wesleyan team, finishing the game 2-0. This came as a welcome response to their heart-breaking, double-overtime loss earlier in the week against Coe College. Second half-goals from Nora Sahel ’17 and Simo Bambi ’20 helped see off the opposition in their final match before conference season.
“I think that we haven’t really been playing the way that we want to be playing until the game a couple days ago, so it was nice to see that what we have been doing in practice has paid off on the field,” said Hannah Truesdale ’17. “I think the team is working really well together and we are all giving 110% out there.”
Truesdale was also quick to highlight the importance of team bonding.
“I love the first years,” Truesdale said. “They are all really awesome. They work really hard, and they really want to contribute to the team. I think that they have fit in really nicely to the team culture right away.”
The men’s team holds their newest members in a similarly high regard.
“I think they have done well, they have really tackled the challenge head on and they have done a really good job for us,” Brule said.
The men’s team kicked of their conference season Wednesday night, Sept. 19 at Cornell College, and the women’s team begin their campaign this weekend, Sept. 24, at Beloit College.
