Scots Open 2007 With Neutral-Site Matches at Oberlin

Jason Bowie

The College of Wooster men’s soccer team, which began last year with seven consecutive one-goal wins, will look to get 2007 off to a successful start this weekend with two neutral-site matches at Oberlin College. First, on Friday, Aug. 31, Wooster will meet up with Lake Erie College (10-8-1 in 2006), at 5:30 p.m. The Fighting Scots have been victorious in their last seven season openers. After a day off from competition, Wooster will return to the pitch Sunday, Sept. 2, and take on Heidelberg College (6-9-3 in 2006), starting at 3:30 p.m. The Scots also opened with Lake Erie and Heidelberg last year, albeit at home, edging the ‘Berg 3-2 and the Storm 1-0.    

2007 Preview Notes: A predominantly young, but talented squad will look to maintain Wooster’s reputation as one of the top teams in the NCAA Div. III Great Lakes Region, as the Fighting Scots possess a winning percentage above .750 through the last five seasons with a record of 59-14-12 (.765) ... Wooster, with a 2007 roster sporting 10 sophomores and 13 freshmen as well as nine upperclassmen, is also hoping to make up for last fall’s late-season slump which saw the Scots go from 8-1-1, including a tie against eventual national semifinalist Ohio Wesleyan Univ., to 10-4-2 and a fifth-place finish in the North Coast Athletic Conference ... Wooster’s backfield should be a strength again, as it has a core of experienced players there. Seniors Jason Bowie (Delaware, Ohio / Rutherford B. Hayes) and Warren Swegal (Sewickley, Pa. / Quaker Valley) could play significant roles, having started 25 and 13 matches during their respective careers, along with junior Aaron Oster-Beal (Littleton, Colo. / Littleton) and sophomore Jay Keener (Wadsworth, Ohio / Wadsworth). Oster-Beal has been a key contributor the last two years when healthy, while Keener earned a starting role in 10 of 16 matches as a freshman ... Among the newcomers on defense, one sticks out in 6-6 senior Tim Vandervaart (North Canton, Ohio / Hoover), who joins the team after four highly successful years on the hardwood. He was three-time all-conference in basketball and scored 1,053 points, while helping lead the Scots to the national semis of the NCAA tourney last March ... Offensively, Wooster will aim to improve on its 20-goal season from a year ago. Sophomore midfielder Karl Ruter (Glenview, Ill. / Glenbrook South) is the top returnee, having totaled 12 points on five goals and two assists, despite missing four games due to injury. Also back in the midfield is junior Brenton Allen (Newark, Ohio / Granville), who has already started 21 matches and notched seven career points, and sophomore Trevor Day (Wadsworth, Ohio / Wadsworth), a part-time starter as a rookie ... The Scots’ front line returns primarily intact, led by junior Nick Waychoff (Cleveland Hts., Ohio / Cleveland Heights), who has 13 career points, including three goals and three assists in 2006. Scott Buckwald (Seville, Ohio / Cloverleaf) returns after a productive first year, starting all 16 matches and tallying one goal and three assists.