By SCOTT NOVAK
Niles Daily Star

DOWAGIAC – The Dowagiac varsity soccer team scored early and often Thursday night as it defeated visiting Buchanan 8-1 in a non-conference match.

The Chieftains were playing back-to-back nights after defeating Three Rivers on Wednesday for its first win of the season.

Hazen McMeeken got Dowagiac off to a quick start as he scored the first of his three goals in the fifth minute. Craig Zebell, who also had a big night offensively, assisted on the goal.
McMeeken made it 2-0 four minutes later, again with the assist of Zebell.

Zebell then gave the Chieftains a 3-0 advantage in the 21st minute as he scored the first of his three goals.

Buchanan averted the shutout in the 29th minute as Ryan Catalano got loose and scored to cut the lead to 3-1.

In the second half, McMeeken was the first Chieftain to complete the hat trick as he scored in the 42nd minute.

Zebell followed two minutes later with his second goal and all of a sudden it was 5-1.
Zebell finished his hat trick in the 57th minute to make it 6-1.

Dowagiac wrapped up the scoring with Martin Meza in the 60th minute and Kasey Proshwitz in the 64th minute.

According to Buchanan coach Brian Pruett, the Chieftains’ early goals were the difference.
“We started off well, we got a couple of quick shots, but they retaliated very quickly with some great transition,” he said. “They got some quick goals and kind of caught us off guard. They are a good team. We got down quickly and we are missing a couple of guys, which wasn’t a big part of what happened today, but I just think it brought our moral down and we couldn’t get back up.

Dowagiac outshot the Bucks 28-9. The Chieftains’ Jason Turner made five saves, while Buchanan’s Steven VanAlstine came up with 11 stops.

Chieftain coach Mike Williams was pleased with the effort after the first few minutes of the match.

“Offensively we played fine, but our defense was a little flat at the start, so I had to get on them about it,” he said. “The first two goals were hard to get, but the more we scored they (Buchanan) seemed to shut down.”

Dowagiac will try to make it three straight on Monday when it travels Hartford to take on the 2008 district finalist Indians.

Buchanan…1
Dowagiac…8
Halftime score
Dowagiac 3, Buchanan 1

First half
D -Hazen McMeeken fifth minute (Craig Zebell)
D -McMeeken ninth minute (Zebell)
D – Zebell 21st minute
B -Ryan Catalano 29th minute

Second half
D – McMeeken 42nd minute
D – Zebell 44th minute
D – Zebell 57th minute
D – Martin Meza 60th minute
D – Kasey Proshwitz 64th minute

Shots on goal
Buchanan 9
Dowagiac – 28

Saves
Buchanan 11 (Steven VanAlstine)
Dowagiac 4 (Jason Turner)

Varsity records
Buchanan 4-5-1
Dowagiac 2-6