Luke Gadson – Sports Editor
It was a tough-fought game until the final minute in the Owls’ matchup against American International College at Jess Dow Field on Wednesday, Oct. 25. The competitive NE10 matchup ended in a 1-1 tie.
The Owls’ only goal was scored by midfielder Yannick Hilpert, a junior, in the 34th minute. This was the fourth goal of the season for Hilpert. The goal was assisted by forward Zico Groenveld, a sophomore.
Offensively, the Owls were a force against the defense of the Yellow Jackets with 12 shots on the goal, but they were not able to increase their lead in the second half. AIC scored a goal in the 84th minute, and it would eventually bring the game to a 1-1 tie.
“It was a ball from the right side. Zico got it, and I was at the edge of the box. He passed it, and I shot it into the goal,” said Hilpert.
The Owls started strong with a great first half offensively but were slowed down in the second half. “I think it was a game of two halves. In the first half, we had a little bit more of the ball, and we controlled things a bit better. But in the second half, it was more defending, and they put pressure on us. Credit to them,” said Head Coach Kevin Anderson. “We needed to find more opportunity, keep possession and break pressure so we could try to get ourselves into the final third.”
Despite the tie, the effort shown by the Owls up until the end of the match was evident. “Great fight by the team. The last couple of games have been really good effort-wise. Unfortunately, we couldn’t close it out. They got the goal at the end, but we move forward,” said forward Leroy Best, a junior.
As the Owls near the end of the season, they look to finish strong in their final regular season game at home against Bentley University. With a win, the Owls can get into the top eight rankings of the NE10 and could clinch a spot for the postseason. “It will take another performance like this. The same effort, but we just have to be more efficient so we can close it out and stop them from getting goals,” said Best.
Anderson stressed how consistency is the key to closing out this season with a win. “We continue to do what we’ve been doing over the last five to six games. It’s just about being consistent, finding moments of quality in the game and controlling the tempo of the game that guys are more comfortable with,” said Anderson.
The Owls will honor their seniors during that last home game against Bentley University at Jess Dow Field on Tuesday, Oct. 31. This tie moves the Owls’ overall record to 4-7-3 with a conference record of 3-5-1.
“We haven’t had five days to prepare since preseason. So, we’ll use those days wisely for guys to rest, recover and get ready. We’re looking forward to our last game of the season, and I think it will put us in a good position for postseason play,” said Anderson.
