by Jesus Jimenez

This weekend had mixed results for Earlham athletics. The football team had a terrible first conference game (see football article) and the volleyball team’s woes continued, with two conference losses over the weekend. The men’s cross-country team came in second for the second time this season, as sophomore Jacob Naegeli led the team for the third time this season. The women failed to place at the only home meet of the season (see cross-country article). Both the men and women’s soccer teams each had a 1-0 shutout against Oberlin at home. The tennis teams ended their fall schedule with mixed results at home.

Volleyball

Saturday’s sweep at the hands of The College of Wooster was the 11th sweep against the volleyball team in 19 games this season. They have only gone to five matches twice this season, accounting for two of their wins. With the two defeats this weekend, the team’s conference record fell to 1-5. They played a game against Transylvania University on Wednesday, but the game ended too late for print. The team continues their conference schedule at Hiram at 7 p.m. today, and their road trip continues at Allegheny, Pa. at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Soccer

Both soccer teams brought in a shutout for Earlham’s home crowd last weekend. This was the first time both soccer teams recorded shutouts at home against the same team all season. It was also the first time both teams won against the same school on the same day since they both beat Anderson University three weeks ago. 

Men’s Soccer

With their 1-0 victory over Oberlin, the men scored their first conference victory of the season to set their conference record at 1-1 on the season. This also brought the “Freedom Trophy” back to Earlham. 

According to Earlham’s athletics Web page, “The Freedom Trophy was established in 2005 by the 1954 Earlham men’s soccer team when that squad was inducted into the Earlham Athletics Hall of Fame.

Earlham had the trophy in 2007, but Oberlin took it back last season. Earlham is 3-2 overall since 2005 in freedom trophy contests. 

Sophomore forward Bannet Asingura scored his team leading ninth goal on the season, with junior defender Jeremy Pillow assisting him on the play, his second assist of the season. 

Oberlin outshot the Quakers 17-10, but were still shut out thanks to junior goalkeeper Jonah Kreniske’s 11 blocks in his second shutout of the season. 

Women’s Soccer

While a veteran led the men to the shutout, freshman midfielder Cate Simmermaker provided the late spark the Quaker ladies needed to earn their sixth shutout of the season. Junior goalkeeper Megan Holthaus earned her fourth of the season. Oberlin had only four shots to Earlham’s 14, while Holthaus had two blocks on the game. 

Simmermaker’s goal was her fifth of the season, which leads the team. Midfielder Lauren Berry and forward Karman Duchon, both juniors, as well as freshman midfielder/forward Joy Doucette, all have four on the season. Senior midfielder Faye Rowell had her first assist of the season on the play. 

This was the Quaker ladies’ first conference game of the season.

Both soccer teams travel to the College of Wooster tomorrow to continue conference play. The women’s game starts at 1 p.m., followed by the men’s game at 3 p.m. 

Wooster’s men’s team is 3-5-1, and 0-3 in the conference. The women’s team is 8-1-3, and suffered their only loss to Wittenberg University in their conference opener last weekend at Wittenberg.

Tennis 

The tennis teams both had their last match of the fall season last Sunday. The men split their doubleheader, while the women lost their second match of the fall season. The women’s team ended the fall 3-2, while the men ended 3-1 after suffering their first loss on Sunday against Franklin College. 

Men’s Tennis

Freshmen Henry Levine and Brad Maisey, as well as junior Josúe Rivera, all won their individual matches, while Levine and sophomore Mike Von Vogt won the No. 1 doubles match and Rivera and senior Aaron Weeden won their match at the No. 3 spot.

Levine was the story of the fall, going 4-0 in individual matches at the No. 1 spot and pairing up with Von Vogt to go 4-0 in doubles, also in the No. 1 spot. Von Vogt was 2-2 individually. Rivera and Maisey were both 3-0 as well.

Women’s Tennis

Junior Rebecca Ogle and freshman Alex Softness posted the only two victories on Sunday in the 7-2 loss against Franklin at the No. 2 and No. 4 spots, respectively. 

Ogle was the only undefeated player on the women’s team, posting a 5-0 record in individual play. Softness and sophomore Nora Mineva were 3-2 in doubles, as was the combination of Ogle and senior Rachel Hawkins. 

The fall schedule was relatively successful for both teams. They are now working on getting ready for the spring season.