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The men’s soccer team can start the puzzle of winning games, but they are still looking for the missing pieces to solve it. On Wednesday the team traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, to take on the Drake Bulldogs and jumped out to a two-goal lead late in the second half. The Blue Demons scored their first goal when Robert Marshall scored his second goal of the season on a penalty kick. Ten minutes later Ed Kiefer scored the first goal of his career with an assist from Chris Greer. The Bulldogs did not score until minute 79 of the game when Dustin Grau scored the first of his two goals. In the eighty-seventh minute Drake took the lead for good and after scoring in the final seconds of the game, made the score 4-2. In the season opener against Michigan on Sept. 1, an early shot by Michigan freshman Ian Hirschfield was just out of reach of DePaul goalkeeper Jash Chavero. The goal came at the 4:36 mark and DePaul could not answer. It was Michigan’s first game as a varsity program. Wish Field was not any kinder to the Demons than Elbel field had been in Ann Arbor. In the home-opener against Eastern Illinois, the game was scoreless at the half-way point but then Eastern started what would be a scoring barrage two minutes into the second half. The Panthers’ Jason Thompson scored the first of his four goals at the two minute mark of the second half. The Panthers would score three more times before DePaul could answer. DePaul scored their two goals within three minutes of one other. At the 73:02 mark Robert Marshall scored the Demon’s first goal on a penalty kick. Chris Greer followed that with his first goal of the season at the 75:40 mark. The Panthers came roaring back after the two DePaul goals and finished off their 6-2 victory over DePaul. In their Conference USA opener against UNC-Charlotte on Sept.10, DePaul jumped out to an early lead with Shane Hudson’s second goal of the season. The Demon’s took their lead into the second half with them but lost it when the 49ers scored two quick goals in the 49th and 52nd minutes of play. DePaul could not come back from that deficit and gave up one more goal before losing 3-1. Head coach Tom Secco believes that his team is capable of stepping up their play and winning more soccer games. “We need to play possession-style ball, control the pace, and capitalize on opportunities,” Secco said. The Demons are on the road this weekend in Jacksonville, Fla., playing in the Jacksonville tournament. DePaul will take on the host Dolphins and Florida Atlantic. |