JOEY SEMEL, Editor-in-Chief — Playing strong teams now helps you later, even if it’s not always in a win.

The Big Red fell to a tough, 4th-ranked John Carroll side in a home loss this past Saturday by a score of 1-0. 

The lone goal of the match came in the 63rd minute, off the foot of John Carroll’s Jared Ianiro. 

The Big Red tallied just two shots on goal throughout the match, one by Luis Zamora ‘20 and the other by Ryan Albers ‘20.

John Carroll outshot the Big Red 15-5, including five shots on goal for the undefeated Lobos. They also outpaced the Big Red on the corner kick talley, totaling six, while the Big Red had just one. 

The loss came off the heels of another close battle with a ranked opponent. Two overtimes could not separate the Big Red from thirteenth-ranked Capitol last Wednesday. The game finished in a 0-0 tie, largely due to the play of the reigning North Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week and Big Red goalkeeper Dylan Brown ‘21.

Brown finished the game with five saves to keep the game locked in a scoreless tie. Stuart Windell ‘22 registered the lone shot on goal for the Big Red, but it was stopped by the Capitol goalkeeper.

After showing that they can hang with the top teams in the country, Brown spoke to why these last two games are so important for an improving Big Red squad that is looking to put their names on a national scale.

“Playing highly ranked teams like Capital and JCU truly allows us to see where we stand amongst the best in the nation. I believe that we’re getting better every game, and rising to the level of our competition. I’m excited to see how we play against rival conference opponents this year,” Brown said.

Brown also talked about how the offseason training has set up himself, and the 3-2-1 Big Red for success this year.

“Staying focused throughout the summer and playing as often as possible helps with the mental and physical demands that the season brings on you. It’s nice to see that I’ve gotten in a formal routine for the fall, as preparation during the off-season is finally paying off, with recognitions like NCAC player of the week,” Brown said.

As for the rest of the year, Brown spoke to the team’s goals going forward. They center on giving themselves a postseason chance later in the year. The games against ranked opponents seem to be doing just that. 

“Our team goals are to win the conference tourney or give ourselves an opportunity to receive an at large bid to the NCAA tourney. I think this past week has showed that we can compete with the best, and we want that opportunity to be nationally recognized.”

Up next for the Big Red is an away match in Alliance, Ohio as they take on The Purple Raiders of Mount Union on Saturday, September 21 at 7 p.m.