WILMINGTON, Ohio - The Wilmington College men's soccer team opens the 2021 fall season with the Quaker Bowl Rivalry game at Earlham College on Wednesday. Kickoff from Matlack-Messer Field is slated for 4 p.m.
The Teams: Wilmington and Earlham. The Fightin' Quakers finished the unique 2021 spring season with a 7-3-1 record, won an OAC Tournament home game for the first time in over a decade and came a shootout away from playing for the tournament championship. The Hustlin' Quakers finished the 2021 spring season with a 2-8-0 mark.
The Coaches: Alex Van der Sluijs is in his fourth year leading Wilmington's men's soccer team. The 2007 alumnus, who was a three-time First Team All-OAC selection and a member of the program's only team to win an OAC title in 2004, got the program within a shootout victory of playing for an OAC Tournament title in the spring of 2021. He worked at Defiance College for seven seasons. Aaron Gustine has been on the Earlham sidelines since the 2015 season and enters his third year as head coach in the fall of 2021.
The Players: Wilmington graduated two key seniors on offense, but returns the OAC's Offensive Player of the Year in Elorm Dogbey. The senior scored five goals and dished out four assists for a total of 14 points in the abbreviated 10-game season. Yusef Muqtadir, who netted four goals, and Brady Shapiro, an All-OAC selection on defense who contributed four assists, both return. Luc Cesar and Caleb Wilgen were the two members of Earlham's team to score multiple goals.
Series History: Wilmington is 9-3-1 against Earlham in the 35 seasons including winning the last three matchups. WC has outscored EC 9-0 in Van der Sluijs's tenure as head coach. More information on the series history can be viewed by visiting the link above.
Quaker Bowl Rivalry: Prior to the 2017-18 academic year, the athletics departments of Earlham College and Wilmington College announced the re-creation of the Quaker Bowl. Originally a trophy for just football and men's basketball contests, the bowl is now competed for across all sports in which Earlham and Wilmington play each other. Wilmington won the 2019-20 Quaker Bowl 7-4.
Coverage: Live statistics and live video of the contest will be available – visit the links above.
Social Media: Follow Wilmington athletics on social media! The Fightin' Quakers have a presence on Facebook (Wilmington College Athletics) as well as Twitter and Instagram (@DubCQuakers).
Up Next: Wilmington will host the Kiwanis Classic at home over the weekend – facing Mount St. Joseph University on Friday and Manchester University on Sunday.
