Beloit Blows Lead and Crown

Beloit Blows Lead and Crown

The Midwest Conference tournament had two teams that are not always used to the big stage of a conference final. Both teams came in hot, neither having more than two losses in conference, one sporting a great defense with the other sporting a top offense.

Grinnell’s defense is anchored by Andrew Mullins, Alex Exarhos, J.P. Prouty and goal keeper Ben Schemper. They traditionally play a flat back four where they sink their midfielders on top of their back line, daring their opponent to take them on. No defender in their back line is shorter than six feet tall, all of them can bring a hit with any tackle.

Beloit on the other hand has more of a finesse aspect to their game. Despite being only a freshmen, the Beloit Buccaneers have a talent at forward in Jackson Wilkins. Jackson thrives on speed and endurance, he never gives up on a play and with his shifty feet and ability to make runs through defenses, makes him the most dangerous player on almost any playing field. Complimenting Jackson is outside midfielder Marc Robinson and inside midfielder Silas Connely. Both Robinson and Connely have tremendous foot work, they play fast and love to get forward, using Jackson as a wall pass in an effort to get around him. Rounding out the attack is senior Bo Wilkins (Jackson’s older brother), Bo has been the best player on Beloit for almost four years but now has the fire power to compliment his abilities.

Both teams suffered through gut wrenching wins the night before where they were not only asked to play the usual 90 minutes but were asked to play two overtimes and shoot outs. Endurance was an issue throughout the second half.

On the opening kickoff Beloit took immediate control. They wasted no time getting down the field, pushing their entire team forward looking to attack quickly. Two minutes had not gone by when Jackson Wilkins slipped behind the defense with Marc Robinson on the ball. Robinson had beaten his defender on the wing, picking his head up seeing the streaking Wilkins down the middle. The ball was placed perfectly behind the defense but far enough off the line for Ben Schemper to stay on his line. Wilkins took a controlling touch then blasting a nicely paced shot past Schemper for the early goal.

Grinnell was stunned. How can a team that plays a defensive shell for a whole match shut out St. Norbert but now cannot even hold Beloit without a goal for two minutes? Was this foreshadowing for the rest of the day? Can Grinnell must enough offense for even one goal? These questions would be answered as the game progressed.

Wilkins’ goal was not enough of a wakeup call to get Grinnell going. In the 7th minute, Jackson came calling yet again. Coming from the left side, Jackson had a nifty move past the defender but without fully getting around the back line, he ripped a shot from 20 yards on an angle. Schemper being caught a off guard did not react in time, allowing the game’s second goal into the side netting.

The feeling wasn’t urgency, or devastation. It was absolute and utter shock. Grinnell has not seen the 10 minute mark go by and they were down 2-0. What does a team do to create offense when they had not scored against an average St. Norbert defense the day prior?

As the game ensued, Beloit continued their dominance. Grinnell stuck with their defensive look in the back, they continued to get nine men behind the ball and breaking out in counter attacks when the situations arose. The Buccaneers continually put together possessions pulling their team up and down the field with relative ease, that is, until they got into the attacking third. With so many Pioneers defenders there was scarcely room to breathe, let alone maintain possession.

With every Beloit possession, Grinnell would either earn a steal or collect a shot. Schemper was all over the field; any shot sent in his direction were swallowed up or blocked. Robinson and Connely were dominant all over the field. Each of them were able to maneuver past any defender put in their path. With the constant pressure they put on the back four, the game was in Schemper’s hands and he did not disappoint. Shot after shot, Schemper denied everything put before him.

Once the 32nd minute came around Grinnell put together another counter attack; the attack was deflected wide for a corner kick. Once the ball was played in, Nathan Lipps went to challenge but could only get a piece of it. The ball stayed alive for a quick shot by Connely, Lipps was up to the task, blocking it back into the 18. With the keeper on the ground Mark Rosenberg saw the ball coming straight at him with his back toward the goal. Throwing a shoulder into J.P. Prouty, Rosenberg reaches out his right foot slotting it into a virtually open goal from point blank range. Hope had re-entered the game.

Grinnell was playing with a new sense of confidence which carried them into halftime. An aura of confidence came over the Grinnell team to open the second half but was quickly dashed once Beloit came out of the locker room firing. Much like the first half, Beloit sent the ball into their attacking third, peppering crosses and shots, none of which got as far as Schemper. Similar to the second part of the first half, Grinnell held their ground and countered back. Despite the countless attacks by Beloit, Grinnell kept their composure countering them back with everything they had.

In one sequence, Grinnell got the ball to Andrew Stephenson. Stephenson took on Prouty, getting a step on him where he fired a shot across the 18. Lipps was there for the block but Andrew Mullins got a foot on it before it reached him, the ball continued its roll to the back side of the goal. With an open goal the Grinnell attacker could not get a beed on the ball allowing it to roll harmlessly out of bounds.

Having dodged a major bullet, Beloit got back to their old tricks. Poring on the offensive fire power, Beloit took total command of the game. Inside, outside, on all sides of their formation, Beloit dominated possession, sending countless attackers through the middle. Schemper was up to the task. With every shot, there was a block. With every cross, there was a catch. Ben Schemper is the best big game keeper in the conference and maybe in conference history. Between today’s game, yesterday’s game and the tournament last year, there is no keeper that can hold a candle to Schemper in a tournament match.

In the 79th minute, Mark Rosenberg received an angled pass from Matti Sahel. Turning on the jets, Rosenberg blows past the Beloit defense, narrowly earning the shot that got to the back bar before Lipps could even react. With such an extreme angle, it seems that Lipps was overplaying the near post and may have cost his team the match.

With the game tied, everything slowed down. Stamina was a major issue in the latter part of the game and even more so in the overtime periods. Both teams had played 220 minutes of soccer in two days, almost four full hours of constant play on the conferences biggest stage against the conference’s best opponents.

Following suit in the first two games, this game was destined for shoot outs.

The day before Grinnell sent up seven shooters, earning seven goals. Beloit sent five shooters, earning five goals. Neither team knew what it was like to miss; something had to give.

The first shooter was Bo Wilkins. Firing his shot left, Schemper was all over it, getting both hands on the ball for the block. Following Wilkins was Rosenberg who buried his shot without any issue.

Brian Maunze was next for Beloit; his shot was skied into the air having no chance at even grabbing iron. Beloit was on the ropes. If Grinnell made their shot they would need two consecutive blocks coupled with two consecutive goals. Justin Coaster was the next shooter, sparing Lipps the need to block, Coaster puts his shot off the cross bar.

Beloit has new life.

Marc Robinson steps in sinking his shot past the diving Schemper who almost got a hand on it. Grinnell sends JP Prouty to the line but Lipps is equal to the task, diving to his right, saving the shot.

Beloit misses the next shot wide again. Grinnell sends Sahel who wastes no time in burying it past the diving Lipps.

Ginnell now has a commanding 2-1 lead coming into their last shooters.

Connely takes a shot and buries it in the side netting. The game and the tournament came down to Stephen Craig. Craig puts a charge into the ball, slotting it past the diving keeper for a perfectly placed goal.

Final score
Beloit 2
Grinnell 2

Shootout
Beloit 2
Grinnell 3