October 21, 2009 – Athletics

Megan Goodrich ’10 and Victoria King ’12 anchor the Ohio Wesleyan defense.

Photo by Sara Tincher

After losses in the season’s first two North Coast Athletic Conference games, it appeared as though the Ohio Wesleyan women’s soccer team was in danger of missing the conference tournament for the second straight season.

But with three straight conference wins, not only have the Battling Bishops played their way back into the running for the conference tournament, they entered the week just a single point out of second place in the NCAC standings.

The team’s past three games have been close ones, all ending with the score of 2-1, and those games show how much the Bishops want to be in this tournament.

“The girls have been doing an incredible job, they have tons of confidence in themselves, and that’s what helping them succeed,” says head coach Bob Barnes.

Much of the team’s routine has stayed the same, with very competitive practices to stay sharp and on their feet. As for the games themselves, the team has played as hard and as well as ever, with everyone coming together to play more consistently.

One change which could be of benefit to the team is the schedule. The Battling Bishops had a rigorous first half of the season, with games squashed together with less-than-ideal recovery time. With only one or two games a week recently, the team has recharged more easily and has more confidence and plays more consistently than ever before.

“This is a good time of the year; we’re playing for home-field advantage over all the schools we’re tied against.” Barnes says.

The team’s motto is that they control their own destiny and they’ve been showing it with their multiple wins in the past couple of weeks. Playing on their home field in the tournament is an advantage—one the Bishops are hoping to get—and it could give them the edge they need to triumph over their various rivals and bring them to the top in the tournament.

– Danielle Rubinstein-Towler ’13