By Alexandra Richardson
and Alana Hu
Staff Writers
Union University’s male and female soccer teams both had victories at the Union Classic Aug. 31-Sept. 1, the first game for the men and the third and fourth for the women.
The men’s team won 2-0 over Ouachita Baptist University with goals scored by Diego Santos and Guilherme Reis. The women’s team played two games, winning the first 1-0 over Belhaven. Stefanie King scored the goal.
The team also won its second game 5-2 over Missouri Baptist University, with goals scored by Whitney Kramer, Madison Purdy, Dionna Linn and Kelsey Gilbert.
“This was our first game of the whole season, and within two minutes we already scored,” said forward Guilherme Reis, senior international business major. “We did a lot of work in the summer and pre-season, so when we started the game we were ready to win.”
Teamwork plays a role, said Dionna Linn, junior athletic training major and midfielder/defender.
“I think that going in to games our team is really good at staying united,” Linn said. “I think we were frustrated in the first game after seeing all the missed opportunities from not communicating. In the second game we tried to keep communication in the front of our minds, and it made a big difference. Not only did we possess the ball more but we possessed with a purpose.”
Reis and Linn were important to those wins, but teamwork is key.
“If one person does not give 100 percent, the whole team feels it, and it will affect everyone’s performance,” Reis said. “Scoring goals is my job as a forward but everyone is working together for a goal to be scored. My goal happened because a defender sent me a long ball. If he had not passed me the ball I wouldn’t have been able to score.”
Both teams are energized when fans fill the stands.
“Union students like to come to soccer games and they support us a lot,” Reis said. “Whenever we have a home game we go the extra mile because we know people have come out to watch us.”
Reis added, “It is our first year in Division II, and our goal as a team would be winning the regular season conference and then going to nationals and hopefully winning there as well.”
Pre-season, the team practiced twice a day for two weeks; they now practice daily, playing one or two games each week.
The team lost two veteran defenders from last season.
“Defensively, we lost our veteran goalkeeper, but we have talented new freshmen who seem to be filling in nicely,” said Trey Scogin, sophomore exercise science major.
The team consists of more than 40 players and 15 newcomers.
“We have a very promising season, with the return of four starting seniors, juniors, sophomores, and the addition of some very good freshmen,” said Coach Clovis Simas. “We have a great team community, where each individual understands that in order for us to be successful, each individual has the responsibility to do their best individual work on the field and in the classroom.”
The season ends with the NCCAA MidEast Region Tournament semifinal and final games Nov. 16 and Nov. 19.
