By Richard Zowie
Leader Staff Writer

The Oxford High School varsity soccer team is looking for their first win of the season, having gotten off to an 0-3-2 start courtesy of both tougher competition and working to polish a team that features many new faces this season.
Their first game of the season was a 5-2 loss to Davison on August 21. They then played three shortened games on August 23 in a Flint Metro League tourney, tying Lapeer West in the first game 1-1, playing a scoreless tie in the second game against Linden and losing to Fenton in the third game, 2-1. On August 25, they were shut out 2-0 by Waterford-Kettering in Waterford.
Still winless on the young season, Head Coach John Thaler feels that the team will get better as the newcomers and veteran players get into a rhythm and start playing like a team.
In Oxford’s season opener at Davison, the Wildcats did something that Thaler likes’they scored the first goal of the game. This came 10 minutes into the game when senior Doug Kiracofe volleyed freshman Michael Kitchner’s corner kick into the Cardinals? net.
The lead lasted until almost halftime when the Cardinals scored after some shoving in the box. In the second half, Davison took over. They scored two goals within 15 minutes to go up 3-1.
The Wildcats then added another goal to pull within one when junior Steven Ferguson took Kiracofe’s cross to slot the ball.
That would be as close as Oxford got as Davison added a late goal.
Thaler described the game as a physical one, where Davison earned three yellow cards’one for a blatant tackle, one for an unsportsmanlike penalty of kicking a ball while an Oxford player was trying to throw it in and one for the Davison coach’s arguing the unsportsmanlike call.
‘It depends on where you play,? Thaler said, explaining the frequency of getting yellow cards. ‘If you play certain teams in Oakland County, it’s to be expected. With some of the teams in Flint Metro, you won’t see a single card. It also depends on the referees.?
Thaler pointed out that despite the three yellow cards, Davison has a great team that was simply bigger and more athletic than the Oxford squad. This loss to the Cardinals was the Wildcats? first in five years.
‘Davison has a good soccer program and twice as many boys to choose from,? Thaler said. ‘It’s a tough pill to swallow, but their program’s under a new coach and he knows how to coach.?
In Game 1 of the FML Soccer Tourney, Oxford played Lapeer West and’once again’started off by scoring the first goal. Junior Travis Roth found the Panthers? net on an assist from Kiracofe. Midway through the second half, Lapeer West finally scored. Oxford pressured their blue-and-gold counterparts but weren’t able to score again.
In Game 2, Oxford and Linden ended with a scoreless tie. By this time, Thaler said, play grew slower with field temperatures exceeding 90 degrees. ‘But, nonetheless, it was exciting,? he said.
The Wildcats and Eagles played a tough first half. Two scoring chances were thwarted by a wide shot on goal and the Eagles defense. A foul gave Oxford a chance to score on a free kick, but the shot was saved by the Linden goalkeeper.
Despite Oxford’s controlling much of the second half, they were unable to score. Their best chance came when senior captain Steven Walker had a one-on-one with a defender, beat the defender and kicked in a shot’only to see the goalkeeper stop it.
In Game 3 against Fenton, the hot temperatures continued with the Wildcats and their feline counterparts, the Tigers, scoring no goals in the first half. But at the beginning of the second half, senior Jake Shafer stole the kickoff at midfield, dribbled through the midfield and blasted a 25-yard shot that made it into the net.
It was like that until 10 minutes later when a loose ball in the back was picked up by Fenton and converted into a goal. Things continued that way until finally the Tigers took advantage of a defensive miscue to finish things off at 2-1.
Against Waterford-Kettering, the Wildcats were eager to get into the win column and almost got some early momentum. In the first 20 seconds of the match they nearly scored. The first half was scoreless, and both teams were slowed by fouls and injuries. Finally, the Captains sliced a shot into the far post to go up 1-0 and then added another shot with less than 10 minutes to go.
‘Senior goalkeeper Tim Bachner made some outstanding saves to keep Oxford in the game while the entire team gave it everything they had to remain level with the Captains,? Coach Thaler said.
Oxford takes on Farmington Harrison on Wednesday.