Everybody wins in Connor Senn Memorial
By Joshua Lehman
Don’t let the 4-1 score fool you. There were no losers last Tuesday in the match between the Ohio State’s men’s soccer team and the Columbus Screw.
That’s because it wasn’t an ordinary match. It was the seventh annual Connor Senn Memorial Game, and it was an unmitigated success. A crowd of 2274 attended the game, and over $30,000 was raised for the Connor Senn Memorial Scholarship Fund — both numbers setting record-highs for the event.
“Each year I think we are improving. It’s great,” said OSU head coach John Bluem. “It’s wonderful that people have stayed with it all this time. The soccer community is beginning to recognize this game more, and that’s why you see the crowd that you do.”
Connor Senn was a walk-on defender who was admired by coaches and teammates alike for his work ethic and positive attitude. Those traits contributed to him earning a starting role just five weeks into his freshman season in 2001.
Then, in a game at Akron on Aug. 26 of that year, Senn collapsed on the field. The Granville, Ohio native died that night as a result of a congenital heart defect.
“All the guys really liked him,” said Bluem. “It was a tragic thing that happened that night up in Akron, but it’s now become something like a cornerstone of our program.”
Indeed, the team’s mantra is “Play Like Connor Today,” a reference to his famous workmanship. His memory has helped the Buckeyes reach new levels of success on the field, reaching the NCAA tournament four times in the six years since Senn’s death, including a run to the National Championship Game last season.
The game itself was a hotly contested match, with Columbus clinging to a 1-0 halftime lead. After the Crew scored their second goal in the 60th minute, they blew the game wide open when George Josten scored twice in an 88-second span to push the lead to 4-0.
The highlight for OSU was Konrad Warzycha’s breakaway in the 85th minute. After sidestepping two defenders, he shot the ball past Crew goalkeeper Kenny Schoeni for the lone Buckeye score.
The Crew now own a 4-1-2 record in the annual showdown, with OSU’s only win coming from last year’s National Runner-Up team.
Bluem knows they’ve got work to do if they’re to repeat that success.
“We lost some very significant players. We had a super team last year and we’re rebuilding, there’s no question about that. Games like this only help us. It exposes weaknesses in our team, shows us what some strengths might be, and gives our players the opportunity to be measured against a very good team. So it only helps.”
Defensive breakdowns cost the Buckeyes dearly in the second half, but for one night, it didn’t matter too much. When the Connor Senn Memorial Game is played, everybody is a winner.
Originally Published: Issue 647 - May 7, 2008
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