David Graham feared this would happen.

Sunday, August 29, 1999

David Graham feared this would happen.

After losing their top two leading scorers from last year, the Packers’ head coach was worried about the lack of offensive fire power.

One game into the season Graham’s fears hold true. The Packers were outshot by the Century Panthers 24-12, en route to a 3-0 loss Friday night at Wescott Field.

The same two teams had scrimmaged Aug. 21 with the Panthers winning 2-0.

"Essentially it comes down to three things," Graham said. "They were quicker, bigger and more experienced, while we’re young, inexperienced and small."

Century jumped on the Packers early, scoring two minutes in on a goal by sophomore forward Schawn Melmer.

The Panthers added another goal about 10 minutes later, on a shot by sophomore midfielder Justin Sewell, and went into the second half with a 2-0 lead.

Chris Scambureck scored the Panthers final goal at about three minutes into the second half. Scambureck, one of 10 seniors back for the Panthers, also assisted on the first goal.

Century was 5-6-1 in the Big Nine last year.

"Defensively we played OK," Graham said. "One positive is that the guys got to see a good team and everybody got a chance to play, so they’ve got some experience."

Austin junior Drew Osterle was hit with a red card for retaliating against a Century player about seven minutes into the second half. Osterle, a defender and a captain for the Packers, will now miss the Packers next game at Winona on Thursday.

"He deserved it," Graham said of the call against Osterle. "It’s certainly not what I expect from a captain. He should know better. This is a young team. He has to set an example."

Century 10, Austin 2

The Panthers also came out on top in girls’ soccer.

Senior Jamie neiland had both of Austin’s goals.