With some fancy maneuvering, junior Luke Boren keeps the ball away from a Dallas Baptist defender. Boren started every game for the Bisons and ended the season with three goals scored. The 2001 Bison soccer team was out to prove one thing this season: that with little funding and no scholarship players, they could out-score, out-dribble and out-play the rest of their opponents in the NCAA Division II Gulf South Conference. With opponents that had been in the conference for more than a decade, the Bisons believed they might be at a disadvantage in the beginning, but they found that they had everything they needed. With a 6-11 record, the majority of the players said they had really improved as a team since their first taste of collegiate soccer last seasonnot only spiritually and mentally, but on a physical level as well. "Our talent level is a lot stronger than last year," sophomore Mike Allen said. "We have many more good young players who are the foundation for this team. "We are in much better shape, and this year's team really cares about the game. You can tell by the way that everyone practiced at the beginning of the year that each and every one of us was dedicated to our cause, and that was the game." But even with the talent of young players, the Harding men had a lot to overcome in their second season of collegiate soccer. "No matter how long you play soccer, nothing can prepare you for soccer on the college level," said sophomore defensive player Zach Dameron. "You really have to get in there and practice hard, and you really have to love the game." The 2001 team not only proved 258 a thl eti cs what they went out to do, but they gained something else as well-integrity. Players said that being a strong, Christian team was just as important as winning games and being strong athletes. "As a team, we really grew spiritually," Allen said. "It was exciting to see all of us as strong Christians using the talents that God blessed us with. "We proved to ourselves as a whole that you can be strong Christians and great athletes all at once." -Kayla Firquain Junior Jeff Ireland fights off a defender for the ball. Ireland scored a second half hat trick to lead the Bisons to their first win of the season against Dallas Baptist. Photo by Daniel Dubois
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