The Men's Soccer team enjoyed their best season in seven years this fall, posting a record of 6 wins 7 losses 0 draws, with 18 goals for and 25 goals against. The Owls finished perched 13th in the USCAA National Rankings. Highlighting their season were two wins against NCAA Division II opponents, three away victories (two in overtime), and the first Homecoming win in four years.


The season started in mid-August with Coach Kerr's notorious two week, three-a-day Pre-Season Training Camp, where 17 players reported.  The side soon came together and showed their potential with an outstanding 3-0 victory in their home opener against Chowan University.   Stephen Cavallo, (So.) was excellent in goal, keeping the clean sheet, and Jr. Max Bressor's two goal brace, plus an assist, earned him the honor of USCAA Player of the Week.

The let off for the next match versus Johnson Bible was palpable, and the team learned a valuable lesson tasting a 4-0 defeat.  But again, the side showed their character by rebounding with another stunning home win against local DII rivals Brevard College, 4-2.  Senior Luke Bernard scored a three goal Hat trick earning him the honor of USCAA Player of the Week, and making WWC history with the first back to back P.O.W. awards.

The Owls then tore into the meaty part of their schedule with three away games on the trot against tough opponents.  In the cold Kentucky rain, Union College got past the team 1-0, on a dubious late PK.  WWC had two balls in, over the line, but cleared out of the goal and not allowed, and hit a post in the final minute, narrowly missing a result from a stout effort.  

The team traveled to Emory & Henry next, where under the lights, they were buried by the officials, 38 fouls, including a PK against three minutes into the game, and again ten minutes into the 2nd half, plus an offside goal allowed to stand doomed the side.  However, at 1-0 down, the Owls showed excellent resolve despite the circumstances and equalized from a corner kick, with Stefan Janjic (So) heading home from senior captain Kyle Carpenters serve.  Blown down for every touch, and 3 goals gifted against, the 4-1 result did not reflect the quality of the effort.

LaGrange College was next in the schedule, on a cool Saturday afternoon.  After going down a goal only eight minutes in, WWC regained the momentum and pressured for a goal without success for vast stretches of the match.  In the 86th minute, senior center-back Graham Ballard snuck onto the back post and headed in the equalizer from a Carpenter corner kick, sending the tense game into overtime. Having snatched the momentum and the mojo, the boys strung together eighteen passes to begin the OT, and six minutes into the extra period, Marcelo Ramirez (Fr) slid a thirty yard thru ball onto Alex Babbitt's blazing run. He took one touch to get into the box, and ripped his shot passed the keeper, scoring the golden goal, winning the match, and sending the team into pure rapture.

The circumstances surrounding the 3-0 loss at Toccoa Falls rivaled the X-files for mystery and intrigue-missing socks, (Coach Kerr made a 15 minute round trip dash and grab buy out of ALL the black soccer socks at the local Momnpop Sporting Goods, setting the one day sales record, and land speed record field to store and back--) a thunderstorm centered directly over the campus dropping 3" of rain one hour before kickoff, a full double rainbow, same spot, 20 minutes before kickoff, a misty absolute calm enveloping the pitch as the strange match began….. The Owls had three good looks inside the first ten minutes but failed to find the frame, then slowly Toccoa's speed of play took over the match. The game was 0-0 until the 70th minute when the boys went down one on a crazy, deflected own goal. The officials, on a first name basis with TFC, added to the tally five minutes later, awarding a shaky PK-(good tackle, bad dive, penalty), and again in five minutes, allowing an offside goal, disregarding Law 11 in blatant contempt of reality.  WWC left with another score line not reflective of the nature of the effort and the quality of the Owls side on the night. The home cooking was on the field, not in the town, as the twilight zone topper for the trip was having to drive until 11:30 pm, searching for an open restaurant, and finally, at some unknown exit off I-85, desperately sweet talking the Wendy's manager into letting all 23 of us WALK thru the Drive-thru….we each ordered at the speaker menu, then walked to the pick up window, got a sack of Wendychow and then got back on the bus and were gone in 20 minutes…then it began to pour down in sheets again…..really.

The Owls next game was a feisty Homecoming against a resolute Appalachian Bible side. Dominating for large spells, and playing beautiful football, the boys could not find the final touch from all their quality until deep into the second half, when Luke Bernard slid a shot back stick putting the shine on an excellent team goal, built with seven players touching the ball in the build up.  It proved to be enough for the win in a tough stingy contest.

The next sequence of matches fell on three games in five days, due to some Hurricane rescheduling, two home and one away.  Facing one of the best sides they'd seen all year, the boys put down a great effort against Southern Weslyan.  They created several golden looks in the first 20 minutes, but again the final touch was not on frame.  The game grew in intensity as the minutes ticked past, both sides desperate to score first. Some handbags and shenanigans nearly boiled over into brawling, but cooler heads prevailed and the game continued 11v11.  So. Weslyan broke the hearts of the Owls in the 83rd minute with a crazy deflected goal, blocked off the line into the crossbar, rebound slapped back onto the bar by the GK, and bouncing back down over the line.  The team was not beaten, but just ran out of time.

With just one day to recover, WWC faced Tennessee Temple on their home ground next, and in a matter of 25 minutes were down 3-0, TT capitalizing on poor decisions, and mistakes. Eventually WWC snapped out of the coma, rediscovered some form, gained momentum, and took hold of the game, but it was not to be on the day.  Luke Bernard scored an excellent 25 yard free kick, at the hour mark, but by then the three goal mountain was unreachable. WWC fell 4-1.  

The team traveled to Emmanuel College next, and with a post season bid on the line, played and outstanding match whistle to whistle.  The Owls scored first, LB slotting home after an excellent build up, then hit the post five minutes later.  EC leveled the game soon after, and again the WWC boys took back the momentum, winning everything in midfield, attacking with purpose, but lacking the finishing touch.  Against the run of play, EC was awarded a corner kick, and unbelievably unlucky, the Owls headed into their own net, going down 2-1. With 20 minutes left, WWC pressured heavily, putting EC under attack consistently, but could not find the leveler.  The final whistle left the boys shattered, once again the better side on the day, but on the short end of the result. After playing well enough to get results in all three games the team was disappointed, and upset at seeing their post-season hopes dashed.
With two arch rival matches remaining, there was still a lot to play for, and the lads rediscovered some magic on the training ground over the next week, shaking off the disappointment.

The final two games of the season were against Ferrum College, under the lights, and Averrett University both in Virginia.  The autumn temps had arrived and the atmosphere at Ferrum was electric, chilly, perfect.  Just two minutes into the game, Brett Buffington made a sterling diving save, lifting the team. Trading shots, Ferrum pounced on a missed clearance and went ahead 1-0 at the 15 minute mark, as the teams played an end to end wide open game.  WWC rallied and Luke Bernard found the net with his head, after Kyle Carpenter sent in a sweet serve from a re-start, leveling the game. Both teams played for the W, with the Owls creating several good looks and stifling FC's attack. Frustrations grew, tackles flew in, tempers flared, and on the 65th minute, the boys were awarded a free kick 25 yards out. Choreographed strait from the training ground, Bernard and Carpenter worked their magic, LB faking a stumble, stopping, and Kyle stepping up and burying the ball in the upper corner with an outstanding effort, leaving the wall in shock and the keeper rooted to the pitch.  Brilliant, cheeky perfection, the team went berserk.  The boys held their nerve, and kept their cool as Ferrum scrapped for the leveler, but it never came, and the Owls took the win 2-1.

After a day in Roanoke, including an epic round of putt-putt, and a 500 am fire alarm at the hotel, WWC met Averett University in their final match of 2008. Riding the wave, the boys raced to a 2-0 lead in 13 minutes, LB adding to his goal haul with a headed goal, and a brilliant 25 yard bender into the far post upper V.  Averett rallied however, and scored two of their own by half time.  The Owls dominated the second period, Averett barley getting out of their own half, but WWC could not find the elusive winner. Max Bressor hit the crossbar with five minutes left, after an audacious effort from 30 yards. For the second time in the season, the final whistle sent the match to OT.  Familiar with the situation, WWC came out blazing, and just four minutes into extra time, Ethan Frei, playing brilliantly in midfield, found himself in acres of space 40 yards out from AU's net.  He took a touch, then unleashed an unstoppable, bending, dipping shot that nestled into the upper corner over the keeper and under the bar, scoring the golden goal, winning the match, and sending his team into pure rapture.  It was a phenomenal strike, absolutely brilliant, worthy of winning any game at any level. The team piled onto their hero, nearly smashing him flat, as the complete utter joy of the win overwhelmed them.  The last kick of the season will forever live in the memories of those who witnessed it.

For his efforts in both wins, 3 goals and 1 assist, Luke Bernard was named USCAA Player of the Week for the second time in the season. He is the first WWC player to win it twice in one year.

Looking back, the 2008 Fighting Owls were one result away from a post season bid, this year that was literally a matter of inches.  The team played attractive, attacking football, and were hard to breakdown. They were not run off the pitch, even in the lopsided score lines, and were often times the better side on the day, just a bit unlucky with finishing. Nonetheless, this was a season to be proud of, and one to build upon for the future.   The hard work and commitment from each member of the side was evident by the nature of the play, the quality of the goals, and the quality of the defending. It speaks volumes in regards to the make up of the young men who compose the team, they are made of stern stuff, each one worthy of pulling on the Warren Wilson College shirt.  Well Done.