By Jeff Yoder
After a season filled with highs and lows, the Taylor men's soccer team ends its year in an evenly matched game with Spring Arbor on Nov. 3 during round 2 of the Crossroads League Tournament.
The Trojans battled with the Cougars in a closely contended game.
Taylor sought after clear goals with nine attempted shots, seven of them on target. Freshman goalie Jesse Carmody did his best to hold off the Cougars, recording five saves and allowing one goal.
Spring Arbor found an opportunity to capitalize in the second half, putting them up 1-0. The score remained through the rest of the game.
"It was a really even game," said Head Coach Gary Ross. "The first half was a complete draw. Neither team had good opportunities. Neither had really done anything significant to out possess the other team. In the second half, I think Spring Arbor possessed it a little bit better."
Taylor finished 2012 with a 10-9-1 overall record and a 4-4-1 conference record. The team struggled much of the season dealing with injuries and illnesses.
"Early on we went 5-1," Ross said, "and then we went 0-6-1 during the middle stretch. We had a lot of injuries. We had a lot guys trying to overcome certain illnesses. So during that stretch it was really difficult. Once we kind of got over those injuries and those illnesses, we finished winning 5 of our last 7 games and had 3 shutouts in that time."
Three Taylor players claimed All-Crossroads League honors.
Sophomore forward Danny Cawley earned first team All-Crossroads League after leading the Trojans with nine goals and seven assists for the season.
Sophomore midfielder Tim Miller scored seven goals for the season, including two game-winners.
Junior defender Ryan Beachler was a big part of Taylor's defense this season. Beachler held his opponents to only 11 shots per game and 1.63 goals per game. Beachler also contributed on offense with three assisted goals for the season.
"Guys like Tim and Danny came through when we needed them to and scored a lot of goals," Ross said. "The same with Ryan in his defensive efforts to make big stops. We're proud of them."
The 2012 season was the last for five seniors on the men's soccer team.
Eric Salley, David Pfeifer, Jordan Grant, Joel Ritz and Kris Schonewill have all been a contribution to the team's success in the last four years.
"It's always tough to replace guys who've won a lot," Coach Ross said. "This senior class has more wins than any senior class that we've had in the last 10 to 15 years. They're good guys and good players. It's not easy to replace guys like that."
Ross and the team look to make an even bigger impact next year in the Crossroads League.
