Tabor men earn No. 2 seed in KCAC tourney

Written by Katie Morford Tuesday, 06 November 2012 15:35

The Tabor men’s soccer team enjoyed continued good fortune last Tuesday as the Bluejays picked up a 4-1 road victory against the University of Saint Mary to keep their six-game win streak alive and claim the No. 2 spot in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference standings.

But the women’s team wasn’t as fortunate, falling to the Spires, 1-0, to conclude regular-season play.

The men now boast a 12-6 overall record and are 7-2 in the conference, while the women finished to 9-9 overall and 4-5 in KCAC play.

The Tabor men won a tie-breaker with Ottawa University and will be the No. 2 seed in the upcoming semifinal matchup with Ottawa Wednesday in the KCAC tournament after earning a first-round bye.

The two teams will play at 7 p.m. at Joel H. Wiens Stadium in Hillsboro.

Men—Tabor capped their most successful season in recent years with their 4-1 win over Saint Mary in Leavenworth.

First team all-conference forward Phillip Wahl scored first to give Tabor a 1-0 lead at intermission.

First team all-conference forward Marian Saar and freshman Jose Lopez joined Wahl as each scored a goal in the second half.

Seniors David Simmet and Spencer Nemnich, as well as Pedro Zavagna, each contributed an assist.

Ben Clark, who received second-team all-conference honors, recorded three saves as Tabor outshot Saint Mary 26-8 overall and 18-4 with shots-on-goal.

Other Tabor players receiving all-conference recognition were junior defender Adam Morley-Winston (second team), junior middle fielder Aram Najar (honorable mention) and senior defender Derick Burkhard (honorable mention).

The Bluejays could return five of their six all-conference players next season.

Women—The Tabor women just missed qualifying for the KCAC tournament by dropping a conference match to Saint Mary 1-0. The Spires found the net in the second half for the game’s lone score.

Amber Mayer started in the net for Tabor and recorded 15 saves. The Bluejays were out-shot, 23-10 overall and 16-4 with shot-on-goal.

Four Bluejays received all-conference honors, with forward Jessica Renzelman claiming a spot on the first team. Freshman forward Nicole Stevenson earned second-team recognition, with teammates Molly Clark and Anna Friesen receiving honorable mention. All four players are expected to return for the Bluejays next season.