Wis.-Whitewater edges Central men’s soccer team
PELLA — Wis.-Whitewater used its strength to outmuscle the Central College men’s soccer team 1-0 Friday.
Battling a stiff south wind in the first half, the Dutch (2-5) hung tough but yielded the game’s only score on a rebound shot in the 42nd minute. Central had the wind and the chances after intermission, but couldn’t convert, leading to all-too-familiar result. Three of Central’s five losses were by 1-0 scores.
“We played a good team today,” coach Garry Laidlaw said. “They’re a big, strong, physical team. We did really well at matching them, especially in the first half when we were playing into a heavy wind. They used the wind to put us under pressure and struck a lot of long balls into the box. But except for that one shot, I thought we were tremendous in the first half.”
Yet it’s the fourth time Central has been shut out.
“At the half, I felt like we could still get something out of this game,” Laidlaw said. “We gave it a go and had a couple of chances.”
Wis.-Whitewater (4-1-1) outshot Central 19-7 but shots on goal were a bit more even at 6-3. Goalkeeper Austin Little (sophomore, Des Moines, Lincoln HS) made five saves.
“They’re well-coached and well-organized,” Laidlaw said of the Warhawks. “I thought our youth showed a little bit going against some of their strength. We weren’t winning the one-on-one battles so we could never sustain an attack.
“But I was pleased with our effort. We know what we have to do.”
Central meets another traditionally talented club Saturday, playing host to Illinois Wesleyan at 3:30 p.m. at the A.N. Kuyper Athletics Complex field. The Titans took a 4-4 record into a Friday evening match at Simpson College.
“Illinois Wesleyan is an excellent team,” Laidlaw said. “They’re usually very technical. They’re playing well with a new coach. They’ve got some impressive wins.”
A video webcast and live stats of Saturday’s game will be available through the Central athletics website at www.central.edu/athletics.