At 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 24, the men’s soccer team took on Hood College here at Elizabethtown College on Ira R. Herr Field. The first half was a consistent back and forth. However, the Blue Jays managed to get six shots compared to Hood’s three, but neither team managed to score, with shots either going wide, being blocked or being saved by the opposing defense and goaltender. One important factor for the close competition was the continuous offsides being called against the Blue Jays in the first half. Etown had three offside calls compared to Hood’s zero. Additionally, both teams racked up many fouls. Etown alone had five fouls within the first fifteen minutes, but only one yellow card was given to Etown’s first-year Connor Kirchner. However, that was the only yellow card drawn on the Jays, whereas Hood managed to have five yellows throughout the whole game, three coming in the first half. Despite the fierce competitiveness of both teams, neither could find a way to score against the other in the first 45 minutes. The first few minutes of the second half proved to be decisive for Hood College, as their senior Terrell Funchess managed to score off an assist from junior Cristian Topovich at 54:57. Despite Etown rapidly getting shots off at Hood’s goal, none of it proved decisive and Hood managed to hold on to their narrow lead for a 1-0 victory over the Blue Jays. The Jays now have a 3-5-0 record going into their next game. 

Earlier that same day, the Lady Jays played on Ira R. Herr field at 5 p.m. against Desales. The first half was very similar to the men’s, a very close game with a consistent back and forth, with the Blue Jays getting three offside calls and both teams racking up fouls. Fortunately, Etown’s first-year Bridget Ferrarese scored her first goal of the season at 41:34 to give the Jays the lead going into the second half. However, Desales was quick to respond with a goal of their own at the 57-minute mark, with first-year Emily Mulrooney putting it in the net and being assisted by teammates senior Rebecca Bury and senior Madison O’Connor. Despite Desales’ impressive competition to this point, the Lady Jays also had a bit of luck on their side, as in an absolute blunder for the Bulldogs, they scored on their own goal, giving the Blue Jays a 2-1 lead at the 67-minute mark, and also giving them momentum for the final 20 minutes of play. The game continued to be close until 85 minutes into the match, when senior Skylar Mumford scored her third goal of the season for the Blue Jays to secure a 3-1 victory over Desales and give the Jays another one for the win column. The Lady Jays now have a 2-2-4 record going into their next game.