Mississippi University for Women men’s soccer coach Louis Alexander was not upset about the Owls’ 3-1 loss to Louisiana College on Monday in Columbus.
“I’m pleased with today,” Alexander said. “I’m as pleased as one can be.”
The Wildcats fielded a team of strong passers and solid ball-handlers, and for most of the game the Owls went toe-to-toe with them.
“We knew they were class before they got here, and to be fair, we know we’re class, too,” the second-year coach said. “Sometimes you have to prove it to yourself. … two of their goals were pretty much on mistakes that we made. We clean those things up and it’s a lot tighter game.”
The flip side of that is the Owls had trouble converting the chances they did get. When you’re outshot 26-7, converting on chances is critical, the coach said.
“The message really, in a nutshell, is they capitalized on our mistakes and we have to limit those mistakes, number one, and number two, we had quite a few clear-cut chances, and when those chances present themselves we have to do a better job of finishing and capitalizing on those chances,” Alexander said he told his players after the game.
The Wildcats’ shooting gave Owls keeper David McCutchen a chance to shine, and he did. The Olive Branch High School graduate turned aside 12 shots, several in spectacular fashion.
“Our junior goalkeeper, so far, he’s been lights-out,” Alexander said. “He’s really stepped up. He had big shoes to fill in John McGee, who graduated, and there hasn’t been any drop-off with him. He’s done really well.”
Louisiana College (3-0) built a 2-0 halftime cushion on two goals from senior midfielder Jason Rodriguez. A goal in the 65th minute made it 3-0 before the Owls got on the scoreboard courtesy of Vini Lopes. The junior from Sao Paulo, Brazil, scored on a direct kick from 20 yards out during the 73rd minute for The W.
Lopes and senior forward Josh Martin each had two shots for the Owls.
But it was the midfield and back line that drew most of the praise from Alexander, as the Wildcats’ offensive onslaught easily could have results in more than three goals.
“Our two central midfielders played really well, Pedro Santana and Asahel Salgado,” the coach said. “Everything runs through those guys, and they know it. They know in order for us to be successful they have a lot of responsibilities, offensively and defensively.
“Our back line played really well today, especially Jacob Vickers and Dorian Winters. Those are two big, strong, solid guys, and they anchor us down there. They’re just physical, and they play soccer the right way.”
But that wasn’t enough against a Wildcats team that began offering scholarships this year as a new member of the NAIA. Formerly of the American Southwest Conference in NCAA Division III, they struggled to a 7-67-1 record since 2016 but have 26 freshmen on a revamped roster that has scored 8 goals in three games after getting shut out five times in six games during last spring’s abbreviated schedule.
A year earlier, Louisiana College managed 13 goals during a 1-16 campaign. But the move to the NAIA has paid immediate dividends; meanwhile, The W is planning a move to NCAA Division III, which does not allow athletic scholarships.
But for now, Alexander is focused on the schedule. He gave the players today off, urging them to get ahead of their schoolwork before a trip to Illinois later this week. The Owls will travel to Eureka, Illinois, for two games against Eureka College, a member of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, the eight-team group that will become nine when The W completes its transition to full NCAA status for the 2023-24 season. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday and Friday The games mark the start of the regular season for the Red Devils, who went 0-9 last season.
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