Wartburg College hosts Loras College of Dubuque in a key Iowa Conference doubleheader Friday, Oct. 8. Match times, at Wartburg Soccer Complex, are 5 p.m. for the women and 7 p.m. for the men.
For the fans – Interested individuals can follow the action via a live event blog at http://theorange.wartburg.edu/AthleticsNews/SportsLiveBlog/tabid/280/Default.aspx.
Knights notes – Both matches against the Duhawks have conference implications. The women’s winner puts itself in strong shape on the conference standings and in regards to the final four hosting duties for the men’s and women’s conference postseason tournament, while the men’s winner also strengthens itself atop the league. … There’s also regional and national focus. The women’s match pits two of the top seven ranked teams in the National Soccer Coaches Association’s North Region, as Loras, ranked eighth nationally, is second, and the Knights are seventh in the region and gained some national honors early in the year. The men’s match features a Knights’ squad that has been regionally and nationally ranked and a Duhawk team that is No. 9 in the region and earned national attention earlier. … Coach Kirk Artist’s men, winners of four of their last five, toppled Coe 2-0 Oct. 5 for their first home win. Senior goalkeeper Brandon Busbee (Hiawatha) earned his third shutout, and the Knights (6-4 overall, 3-0 IIAC) had a 13-11 shots advantage. Senior midfielder Lucas Prater (Springfield, Mo.), joined senior forward Jon Farrell (Washington, Mo.), at the top of the program’s goal chart with his fourth in the 38th minute off a free kick. Sophomore defender David Sanford (St. Peters, Mo.), tallied his second, taking a perfectly placed corner kick off the foot of freshman defender Bob Brown (Solon) and heading it into the Kohawk net in the 53rd minute. Junior midfielder Nathan Gottsacker (Bloomington, Ill.), led the shots category for the Knights with three. … Wartburg’s offense has a top 100 ranking on the current NCAA Division III statistics report. The Knights are 90th in scoring offense, averaging 2.11 goals per match. Individually, Brown, among the conference leaders with five assists, is 94th in the nation. … Wartburg continues its stretch of three successive conference home doubleheaders when Central College of Pella comes to Waverly Wednesday, Oct. 13.
