The Quad

Issue date: 11/5/07 Section: Sports

The men's soccer season was a campaign filled with numerous peaks and valleys. It ended Wednesday afternoon when West Chester fell 1-0 against the top seated East Stroudsburg Warriors in the semi-finals of the playoffs. The Rams finished the season 9-7 in PSAC to gain the fourth seed of the playoffs. They clinched the spot on the last day of the regular season in a heart racing rush to the finish line.

The loss to Stroudsburg was heartbreaking. The game was tightly contested, marking the third game the two have played against each other this season, and was scoreless for a majority of the contest. This game was reminiscent to the double overtime thriller played just a week ago that the Warriors won 1-0. The Rams played a tight defensive game to weaken the powerhouse Warrior's offense. Senior goaltender Garrett Santora kept the Rams in the game. The men's team was out-shot 7-3 in the contest. It was the Warriors Danny Drago that sealed the game in the 83rd minute of the match. Drago headed home the ball sent in by Copeland Lewis. The Warriors score came off a free kick from 25 yards out.

"It was an up and down season; we had some really highs and really lows," Captain Ben Gotwald said.

For the Golden Rams, it is time to begin to look at next season and celebrate the collegiate careers of the seniors departing. The Rams will have numerous holes to fill in 2008 season with the losses. The good news for the Rams is that there is plenty of young talent that is prepared to fill those gaps.

The biggest hole will be the loss of Josh Harris, the team's sweeper and captain this year. Harris was not only the anchor of the team's defense but also the vocal leader on the field. Sophomore defenseman Zach Weaver will be the man to step up for the role. Harris missed the final two games of the season due to an injury and Weaver moved from his outside defense position to cover the center. Weaver has proven to be a solid defender all season long but the change from outside to middle will not be easy. He will have big shoes to fill.

Ben Gotwald ended a fine collegiate career this season as well. Gotwald is six feet tall as a defensive midfielder but when it came to winning balls out of the air, opposing teams must have thought he was seven feet tall. Gotwald was an incredible athlete, winning most of the balls out of the air, and played tough defense. Next season it will be Sean Babcock needing to step into that position and be a physical presence in the back.

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