September 21, 2000
By student assistant Brandon Kieper
Men's Soccer Stays Home for Single Match
THE GAME: Truman State University Bulldogs (Independent/NCAA Division
II) vs. Rockhurst University Hawks (Independent/NCAA Division II)
DATE: Sept. 23, 2000
TIME: Noon (CDT)
LOCATION: Bulldog Soccer Park, Kirksville, Missouri
TRUMAN: The Bulldogs got back on track last weekend at the Truman Classic with a win and a tie in their two contests. Truman battled NAIA powerhouse Columbia College through two overtimes to a scoreless draw on Saturday. The 'Dogs launched 21 shots to the Cougars' 15, but neither team was able to find the back of the net through 120 minutes of action. TJ Dube (Columbia, Mo./Hickman) played the entire contest and made seven saves to earn his first shutout of the season.
The Bulldog offense began firing on all cylinders again on Sunday, as the team earned a 4-1 win over Mercyhurst College (Pa.). Not surprisingly, it was the electrifying forward combination of Matt Byers (Moville, Iowa/Woodbury Central) and Ryan Swan (Perth, Scotland/Kemper Military J.C.) racking up the points. Swan got Truman on the board with an unassisted tally in the 27th minute, and Byers tacked on two more goals late in the first period, the first assisted by Swan and the second on a penalty kick. Matthew Gross (Ballwin, Mo./Lafayette) capped the Bulldog scoring in the 64th minute with a header finish off of a Byers corner kick. Again it was Dube doing the honors in goal for Truman, making six saves to earn his fifth win of the year.
SERIES RECORD & RECAP: Truman blanked the Hawks 2-0 in Kansas City last season to narrow the all-time margin between the teams to 6-8 in favor of Rockhurst.
THE POLLS: Truman resurfaces in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/Adidas rankings this week. The Bulldogs climb back in at No. 22 in the Division II nation and No. 3 in the Central Region.
'DOGS IN NCAA STATS: Matt Byers hasn't lost a step with the coming of a new season. The Bulldogs' single-season goals record breaker is tied for the 16th most potent goal-scorer in the nation on the young season with 1.33 goals per game.
THE DISH ON ROCKHURST: The Rockhurst Hawks finally got on track at the Truman Classic last weekend, winning both their contests despite entering the weekend with only one win for the season. The Hawks downed Mercyhurst 1-0 on Saturday and Columbia 2-0 on Sunday to improve to 3-4-1. Senior Steve Logan and junior Michael Lynch lead the squad with two goals apiece, while junior Bill Lally has dished out a pair of assists. Senior Corey Neidel and junior Luke Denny have split time in goal. Neidel has made 14 saves while allowing six goals. Denny has 16 saves and four goals allowed.