COLUMBUS, Ohio – During the Emory & Henry College Men's Soccer Team's season-opening trip to Columbus, the Wasps faced not only stiff competition on the field, but also had the opportunity to get a pair of behind-the-scenes tours of the city's two major sports franchises.

"The weekend was a great experience for the Emory & Henry College Men's Soccer Program. We structured the trip to put our players in professional environments, challenge us on the field, and provide us with unique experiences to help us grow as a team," said Head Coach Nathan Kish. "It was great to be able to expose the guys to a high level of soccer throughout the entire trip including the teams that attended the tournament in Wittenberg University, Capital University, and the University of Mount Union."

The Wasps played in Capital's Fort Rapids Invitational against teams from the Midwest that are perennial contenders in their respective leagues. Despite what the results may say, Kish believes that there are many positives to take out of the weekend.

"The teams we played will be very comparable to ODAC teams and we wanted to test ourselves against that caliber of team early," commented Kish. "The trip taught us a great deal about exactly what our deficiencies are at an early point in the season. Wins are only one way to measure the success of a weekend, and we walked away learning what we need to do to better moving forward. Our goals are clearer and our style of play is better defined. We are looking forward to the challenges that come with this season and playing in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference."

Emory & Henry had an off day in Columbus on Saturday that gave them the opportunity to tour Nationwide Arena, home of the National Hockey League's Columbus Blue Jackets and the training facility for Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew. The Wasps also had some down time where they got to bond as a team.

"We are extremely grateful to my uncle, Russ Mollohan and the staff at Nationwide Arena for the behind-the-scenes tour. The guys were exposed to a professional environment and given access to very special experiences." added Kish. "Other highlights of the trip included touring the Columbus Crew training facility located in Obetz, Ohio, free time with shopping, lunch and movies at Easton Town Center, several team meals and staying at the host hotel, Fort Rapids Indoor Water Park Resort, a fully functioning indoor water park."

Also on Saturday, several Emory & Henry players got to see their first MLS match in-person, as the team attended the Columbus Crew's contest with the Montreal Impact.

"The opportunity to watch a live Major League Soccer match was a great experience," continued Kish. "The contest provided the guys with an opportunity to view a high stakes game as the Crew and Impact were tied in points for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The gameday environment was great, the game was intense, and the match saw the home side Crew come from one goal down to win 2-1 in extra time."

The enjoyment of getting to attend a professional match was not all that the contest had to offer the young Emory & Henry squad.

"We were able to take a lot away from the MLS match including overcoming adversity, individual effort on the field, and playing as a team for 90-plus minutes. We are hoping to apply the lessons that we learned to our own games as our season progresses since we might find ourselves in similar situations," Kish added.

The Wasps are currently 2-7-1 on the season, however, five of those setbacks have come by two goals or less. Kish feels like E&H Men's Soccer is on the rise and the remainder of the 2012 schedule could definitely give something for fans to cheer about.

"We played two of our toughest league opponents to open the season, but the ODAC is consistent from top to bottom. We have to make sure we are focused every day and approach each day with the attitude that we want to grow. Sometimes, you learn a lot more from your struggles than you do from your success. We want to continue on road to success, and I have no doubt that with the right mindset we will be successful," Kish concluded.

For more photos of the Wasps experiences, please click HERE.

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