This past Saturday, Sept. 28, on a muddy, slippery and somewhat uneven Dickinson College pitch, the Muhlenberg men’s soccer team walked into the house of the sixth-ranked team in the nation, the Dickinson Red Devils, and walked away 4-2 victors. The game looked a very tall task for the Mules in the prematch preparation, with Dickinson carrying an 8-0-1 record, with only two goals conceded entering Saturday. Yet the Mules showed no fear and grabbed the game by the horns from minute one.
Although the match ended 4-2, Muhlenberg took a 4-0 lead after Saleen Diakite ‘28 buried a breakaway chance mid-way through the second half. Dickinson buried two set-piece goals, one from a long throw-in and one from a corner, in the final ten minutes of the match, but Muhlenberg did not break and held the lead as the game winded down. Dickinson played the majority of the second half with ten men after one of their players was sent off. “The game was largely in our favor for about 85 percent of the 90 minutes,” commented defender Ethan Beyer ‘25. “We were up against a strong opponent, and the less-than-ideal conditions added to the intensity, but we knew we had to come out strong and set the tone early. Overall, I think we did a great job, taking the game to them despite their #6 national ranking.”
When conditions are messy and not ideal, as they were on Saturday, teams sometimes need to find a way to produce chances and take advantage of them when they appear, as playing pretty soccer might not be possible. “One thing that we did well was not only producing goal-scoring opportunities but most importantly we finished our chances,” said midfielder Owen Zoeller ‘28. “Scoring four goals on the road is never easy. The game was very well suited for us, we were able to move the ball and play around the other team for the most part when we wanted to, but there were also moments when we were able to transition fast and get up and down the pitch which is also something that we are comfortable with doing.”
With the team having a full week to prepare, they were able to attack more specific areas of Dickinson’s team in training and make sure everyone was on the same page. They had learned a lot about themselves over the course of their eight games prior and wanted to capitalize on Dickinson’s weaknesses. “Leading up to our last game against a well-coached, technically sound Johns Hopkins team, we had a full week to prepare and focus for such a big matchup,” said Beyer. “Knowing they were unbeaten at 8-0 before playing us added extra motivation to really test them. Mentally, we were preparing for this game from the start of the week, with sharp, focused training sessions and pushing each other hard, whether during scrimmages or in the weight room. All that preparation fueled our intensity and built a fire under us when it was time to step onto the field.”
Zoeller echoed a similar message, “The team prepared this week similar to how we always do. We have high standards in training and that is what helps us perform in games. One thing that did stand out though is scoring three goals off of set pieces, which is something that we always work hard on in training.” The Mules have made two Centennial Conference (CC) championship appearances in the last two seasons, winning the 2022 championship. They are not adverse to what the CC has to offer in terms of its competitive standards, and that was apparent in their 4-2 victory this weekend.
Following this win, the team has seven more matches in the conference schedule and there is much more work to be done. “Looking forward, we do need to be more efficient in clearing balls out of our box and communicating,” explained forward Gabe Blikshteyn ‘27. “We also need to keep scoring our chances and put pressure on the opposing keeper. Team goals moving forward into the year are to continue to stay undefeated on Varsity Field and keep battling game by game.”
Beyer added, “Moving forward into Centennial Conference play, some of our team goals include focusing on each game one day at a time. While it’s important to reflect on recent wins or losses, our priority is staying present and focused on winning that day. We want to maintain high offensive efficiency, especially by improving our finishing in the final third. It’s essential that we bring the same intensity to every game, treating each opponent with the same focus as we did in the bigger matches. Playing our style—moving the ball and breaking lines—will be key to scoring goals and closing out games successfully. Our team is strong both on and off the field, and we’re always willing to put in the extra effort to be the best we can.”
After hosting Haverford College on Wednesday, Oct. 2, the Mules will hit the road once again, this time to Gettysburg College on Saturday, Oct. 5 for a 4:00 p.m. matchup with the Bullets.
*The writer is a member of the Muhlenberg men’s soccer team
Evan is a media and communication major minoring in creative writing and journalism with a passion for sports writing as well as soccer, being outdoors and spending time with close friends and family. He is eager to continue learning about and tinkering with writing while learning from the talented Weekly staff.
