By Kristi McDevitt
Sports Correspondent
The Oxford varsity soccer team’s season is coming down to the wire and the Wildcats were fully aware of all that was riding on last week’s games.
Against Lapeer West last Monday, Oxford knew they had to come out strong and win against the Panthers in order to maintain second place in the league. Last time the Wildcats met up with the Panthers, the game ended in a 0-0 tie. Oxford’s offense was dead set on not letting history repeat itself.
The Wildcats were on the board first off a goal from junior Zac Wasylyna on an assist from senior Dave Kourtjian. Meanwhile, Oxford’s extraordinary defensive play kept Lapeer West out of scoring contention. During an Oxford corner kick, West was called on a foul earning the Wildcats a penalty kick. Senior goalkeeper Shane Rondy stepped up to take the shot and buried his first goal of his four-year varsity career to put the Wildcats up 2-0.
In the second half Oxford kept up the intensity and senior midfielder Josh Reaume fed a great ball to Wasylyna who scored his second goal of the night. With the game almost over, West scored on a scramble in front of the goal, but it would be their last as Oxford defeated the Panthers 3-1.
Oxford ended their regular season with a win against Clio last Wednesday. The victory secured the Wildcats second place finish in the league. Junior Bryan Ward scored a hat trick on the night to lead the scoring for the Wildcats. Dave Kourtjian had two goals and two assists in the game and finished the season out in front for the Wildcats with 15 goals and 10 assists. Zac Wasylyna had a goal and an assist on the night and finished with 14 goals and 11 assists.
Junior Erik Anderson and senior Rob Stone each had an assist in the 6-0 victory over the Mustangs. The Wildcats set two school records on the night, one for the most shut outs in a season- 14 total and 8 in league play, and another record for the most wins in a season with their regular season record ending 15-1-4.
Senior goalkeeper Shane Rondy recorded his 13th shutout of the season. Oxford’s defense of captain Alex Austin, captain Josh DuVal, captain Mark Jones, and Erik Anderson were exceptional all night and allowed Clio only a few shots on goal. Oxford finished their league play in second place with a phenomenal record of 9-1-4 overall. When asked to describe the regular season effort from the squad, Head Coach John Thaler replied, ‘Extraordinary.? The Wildcats are not focused on bringing home a District trophy this week.
According to their head coach, the Wildcats must play controlled soccer, make the most of their scoring opportunities, and take each game one at a time. When asked if his team can step up to the challenges in the state tournament, Thaler replied ‘Without a doubt!?