Men's soccer loses in OT

Soccer can be about luck sometimes. And when your opponent plays dirty and the luck goes their way, it's a particularly bad scene.

That's how Oberlin's men's soccer team felt after a 3-1 overtime loss Saturday to Shawnee State University that dropped the team's record to 2-5.

"They were big jerks. They were not very nice," junior captain Brendan Cody said. "But we're strong and we're going to bounce back."

Oberlin controlled the 90 minutes of regulation play and dramatically outshot their clean-cut opponent. Only one Oberlin shot went in.

"Soccer's a funny game. You can control the play and be unlucky and not put the ball in the net," senior captain David Reeves said. "Finishing goals is a haphazard thing. You can't count on it."

Oberlin had a lot of shots, but they weren't going in. "They made that [Shawnee] goalkeeper look like a god. Either he was, or our shots were right at him," coach Chris Barker said.

The sole goal that Oberlin finished came with just under six minutes left in the second half and resembled a lacrosse goal, with junior Sam Krasnow taking out the goalkeeper so sophomore Mike Buckler could push the ball in.

That goal knotted the game at one. Shawnee had scored its goal six minutes into the second half.

After Oberlin's goal, Shawnee had possession for most of the rest of regulation play and sent the game into two 15-minute periods of overtime.

There was tension between the end of the first 90 minutes and overtime as a Shawnee player made a racist comment to Oberlin sophomore forward Jabali Sawicki.

Following the near-altercation, a game players described as dirty got dirtier.

During the first OT period, Oberlin senior defender Eric Kuehnl got a red card for an intentional handball in the goal after an opponent slammed the ball past Oberlin senior goalkeeper David Kumpe on a rebound. Oberlin's fans were numerous and vocal, so vocal that they got into shouting matches with Shawnee's fans. And its coach, who shouted directions to his players with a Southern accent.

He also taunted Oberlin's fans for cheering at what they thought was an overtime goal but wasn't.

Oberlin fans responded with comments involving redneck stereotypes.

At one point, an Oberlin fan shouted, "Remember, they're stupid" to the chuckles of many in the stands but to the dismay of Barker.

"I don't appreciate it when our fans yell out low-class, degrading remarks to the other team," Barker said. "The way to fight ignorance is to rise above it."

Barker, though, said he will not schedule another game with Shawnee because of the way the team behaved.

Oberlin plays Saturday against Earlham and Wednesday at Ohio Dominican. Oberlin beat Earlham 1-0 a year ago.

In anticipation of the game, the Yeomen have been working on play in their offensive third to try to meet Barker's goal of putting the ball in the net three times a game.

"Saying we played hard isn't enough. We need to put the ball in the back of the net," Baker said.

Down the sideline: Sophomore Jabali Sawicki dribbles the ball down the sideline against Shawnee State University Saturday (photo by Cristina Rudden)