Midwest Roundup - Week 1

By D3soccer.com Contributor

And we’re off! The 2016 Division III Men’s Soccer season is officially underway.

Opening weekend proved to be as exciting as expected, with hundreds of games taking place across the country. Some teams picked up right where they left off in 2015, while others stumbled out of the gates.

In Ohio, it is hard not to mention two powerhouses who kicked off their seasons in style.

Chris Brown’s nationally ranked Kenyon side grinded out two big wins, both over in-state opponents. Junior midfielder Henry Myers two goals helped propel the Lords to wins over Otterbein and Heidelberg.

Meanwhile, the Battling Bishops of Ohio Wesleyan also found a way to pick up two wins. The two-time national champions, led by legendary coach Jay Martin, earned 2-1 wins over Calvin and Hope to start their season in style.

Just south in the Bluegrass state of Kentucky we saw perfect opening weekends for both Thomas More and Centre.

The Saints of Thomas More won 3-2 away at Denison in overtime before picking up an impressive 1-0 win at home against UAA opponent Case Western Reserve. Head Coach Eric Busener will be pleased with the undefeated start to the year.

In Danville, KY at the Centre College Alumni Classic, head coach Jeb Burch and the Colonels of Centre pitched two shutouts. In a four team tournament where each side was coached by a Centre alum, a 4-0 win over Georgetown (NAIA) and a 1-0 win over Austin propelled Centre to a seamless opening two games.

In Indiana, Rose-Hulman stole the headlines with impressive victories over both Principia and Wheaton (Ill.). Sean Helliwell and the Engineers kicked off the year in strong fashion and look good for their choice of favorites in the Heartland conference.

And don’t sleep on the Prairie Fire of Knox, who traveled to Gustavus Adolphus for a pair of games. After knocking off St. Scholastica by a 1-0 scoreline, Tyler Sheik’s squad went and knocked off the tournament hosts with another 1-0 win. Expect Knox to contend for another Midwest Conference title by the end of the year.

Finally, down in Tennessee, we saw Sewanee earn three straight wins in the opening five days of the season. The Tigers beat LaGrange, Louisiana, and Franklin, pumping in an impressive sixteen goals over the three contests. Tony Pacella looks to be a tough competitor in his third year at the helm of the University of the South.

With the opening weekend jitters out of the way, be on the lookout for more teams to find their groove and players to get settled into the season as we approach week two of the regular season. With all teams still playing out of conference matches for at least another ten days, the chance for tasty upsets and surprising results is as high as ever. We will see you next week for another edition of the Midwest Roundup!

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