The Oxford College men’s and women’s soccer teams capped off their regular seasons at home against Andrew College (Ga.) on Oct. 19. Both teams celebrated their sophomores at halftime, with 10 players on the men’s team and eight on the women’s team graduating. Neither team conceded a goal as the men’s team won 6-0 and the women’s team won 2-0.
Tumultuous regular season for Oxford men’s soccer ends in offensive showcase
The Oxford men’s soccer team has had an inconsistent season, having endured a four-game losing streak followed by a three-game winning streak. However, by the time the referee blew the whistle for full-time at the William Troy Bivings Athletic Field, they had still yet to allow a shot from the opposing Andrew College. In addition to the commanding defensive performance in their final regular season game, the Eagles had plenty of offensive output to offer on Sophomore Night, with six separate players scoring in a 6-0 rout.
In the first half, goals by sophomore forward Onemeh Erakpotobor, sophomore midfielder Denis Tahirovic and freshman defender Ashton Graham led the Eagles to enter the break 3-0. At halftime, friends and family celebrated the sophomores with a ceremony honoring their time with the team. Tahirovic said he appreciated the Sophomore Night reception and reflected on his dedication to Oxford soccer.
“It feels amazing knowing that people are here celebrating the commitment that we have to representing our school and not just a sport but representing who we are as people,” Tahirovic said. “It's great to see that people actually acknowledge that and how much work we put in, not only on the field but also through school and making sure that our career paths are set in the right ways.”
The Eagles continued the scoring in the second half of the game, with goals from sophomore defender Nathaniel Green, freshman goalkeeper Neal Konganda and sophomore midfielder Brody Weinfurtner. The game ended with the Eagles offering 23 shots to Andrew College’s two.
Sophomore defender Heath Dunlop said he is especially grateful for the people that Oxford soccer has surrounded him with.
“We're like a big family,” Dunlop said. “That just makes playing together even more fun, and we hold each other more accountable and push each other harder to be as good as we can be.”
No successful team is complete without a coach who is invested in their players, and Dunlop said he was also appreciative of head coach Greg Moss-Brown’s leadership.
“It's nice to have someone to just listen to you and really feel that invested in your development,” Dunlop said.
The men’s team finished their regular season with a record of 4-8-3 and will face Pellissippi State Community College (Tenn.) on Oct. 23 in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association semifinals.
Defense leads the way as Oxford women’s soccer celebrates sophomores
In a similar defensive performance, the Oxford women’s team shut out the visiting Andrew College in their final regular season game. Offensively, the Eagles were powered by freshman midfielder Vivian Zhu’s goal in the 31st minute and freshman defender Paloma Salazar’s goal in the 48th minute. Zhu and sophomore defender Helena Bergman held most of the offensive responsibilities, totaling 16 shots between the two of them.
At halftime, friends and family honored the eight sophomores on the team with a ceremony recognizing them for their contributions. Sophomore forward Sarah Speed said she enjoyed the ceremony and the win on Sophomore Night, especially after last year’s struggle with a small roster.
“It was really special, it was really sweet,” Speed said. “Our team has gone through a lot. Last year it was different. It was rocky. But the group of people that we had, we've worked really hard and it was great seeing the culmination of all of that work.”
Head coach Ruth Geiger said she related to the difficulties her “well-rounded” sophomores faced in balancing both sports and academics.
“It's so fulfilling to see them get to be recognized, and get to be recognized in front of their families and friends and fans and teammates,” Geiger said. “There's so much that they do that nobody thinks hard about, and you just think, ‘Oh, it's a student-athlete.’ But if you sit and think about the number of credit hours that most of these women are taking, plus 25 plus hours of soccer a week, you're already at many hours, and they're all also involved in clubs.”
Speed also noted the effect that Geiger and assistant coach Brittany McDermott have had on her college life on and off the pitch.
“They're really intentional about caring about us as people first, not just soccer players,” Speed said. “If you have something that's legitimately going on, you can tell Coach … and not just be in the dark about things, and she'll just listen to you talk. It really does create a really warm and welcoming environment that makes you want to play for the team.”
With Saturday’s win, the women’s team finished the regular season at 5-6-0. They will face Southern Union State Community College (Ala.) on Oct. 22 in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association semifinals.
