BEREA, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University men's soccer team did not give up a single goal en route to a 1-0-1 week with a scoreless double overtime tie against Heidelberg University and a dominant 8-0 shutout of Muskingum University.
Week in Review
-The reigning OAC Forward of the Year, junior two-time All-OAC and Academic All-OAC forward Danny Ruple (Berea/Berea-Midpark), broke the school's all-time scoring record with his first goal against Muskingum. The previous record stood at 95 points, held by Carlin Vandendriessche. In just 53 games, Ruple has scored 39 goals and added 22 assists for 100 points across his career.
-Three different Yellow Jackets scored two goals against Muskingum: Ruple, senior forward Ryan Hassell (Southampton, Bermuda/Western Reserve Academy) and junior midfielder Kurt Raney (Mentor)
-Freshman forward Michael Douzos (Amherst/Firelands) scored his first collegiate goal to finish off Saturday's scoring against Muskingum
-BW notched its third and fourth shutouts of the season and has not allowed a goal in 221:00 minutes of action
-Opponents only took 17 shots and two shots on goal during the week
-Ruple leads the OAC in shots taken (69), is second in assists (9) and points (33) and is third in goals (12)
-Junior goalkeeper Patrick Mehal (Richfield/Revere) is fifth in the OAC with 46 saves on the season
-Head Coach Reid Ayers' take: "We had a big week last week. The two shutouts are great because we focused quite a bit on playing complete games and defending was a big part of that, committing to the defensive side. The guys are starting to figure that out and the shutouts are occurring."
Up Next
-With only two weeks left in the regular season, the Yellow Jackets continue OAC action with games against crosstown rival John Carroll University and Wilmington College. "When you get to this time of year, there is more desperation in games as teams fight for playoff spots. Opportunities get harder to come by with more film out there and teams are more organized defensively. When we do create chances, we have to be very clinical and put those chances away," Ayers said.
-Wednesday, Oct. 17 at John Carroll (8-4-1, 4-1 OAC)-> John Carroll was nationally ranked at the time of last year's game and BW put together one of its best performances in the eventual 1-0 loss. "John Carroll is always a fun game," Ayers said. "It's a rivalry game. There are a lot of common bonds between the teams so there is always a little extra intensity any time you have your crosstown rival. This game will be a good measuring stick to see where we are and what we need to get done in the last portion of the OAC season."
-Saturday, Oct. 20, vs. Wilmington (7-6, 2-3 OAC)-> Last year, BW and Wilmington battled to a 3-3 double overtime tie. "Wilmington is a game we know is going to be fast and physical," Ayers said. "We have to maintain our discipline and composure and take advantage of mismatches and key opportunities to win that game."
-Focus for the week: Continued improvement. "We need to do the things we've been doing but do them cleaner and faster," Ayers said. "This group has brought a growth mindset and I am looking for them to continue to grow sharper, to build on the concepts we've already learned and to do it at a higher level."
