The men's soccer team took a trip to the far east of Houghton and Rochester, New York this past weekend. The soccer portion of the trip was a great experience, but the traveling portion was a whole experience that we didn't need. In that regards, we will just say that it was filled with a lot of bus complications. There will be another entry about it to come.

On Thursday, we left for Houghton. The game started and was a back and forth game. We kept possession very well and so did they. The first half ended scoreless and we were back at it before we knew it. Regulation time ended and was still scoreless so it was on to overtime. With 1:25 left on the clock, a ball came whizzing in from Brian Petak to Chris Allen's feet where he slotted the keeper and the game was over. The game was filled with emotions both good and bad, but at the end of the day we were brothers.

With all the emotions of winning the first game, there was another kind of emotion that came out after the game. One of our freshmen, Tim Prendergast, had received a phone call that told him that his father had just passed away. Shock and sorrow filled the bus, but also there was celebration. His father had moved on to a better life in Heaven and that is what we all are striving for. What happened next can emphasis what kind of a team we have. Everyone found out about this and crammed on a little bus 23 guys laid their hands on Tim to show him that we all love and care about him.

The next day we made our way to Rochester where we faced the Roberts Wesleyan Raiders. The first thing that we did was placed a piece of black tape on our arm for Tim's father to show that we cared. All that can be said is that we were not playing how we know how to play. The emotion and eagerness to play was just not there. Roberts Wesleyan topped us 2-0 with both goals coming in the first half. The only thing that can be said is that the first half should have been played like the second half.

The best part about the program that we have is that at the end of the game no matter the score both teams are brothers in Christ. After every match, we always circle up with the opposing teams and say a prayer and a challenge for that team and our own. We understand the importance of Christ in our lives and any person on the field can express that.

Hope that you stay tuned to the blog as we have our home opener this coming weekend on Friday and Saturday as we host the Cougar Classic! Keep the team and the Prendergast family in your prayers!