1. 12 Tan & Cardinal sports thursday, june 2, 2011
Soccer twins look back on first year at Otterbein
Whether on the field or off the field, competition is a recipe for success for twins Tyler and Dylan Stegall
By Mike Cirelli Both twins constantly motivate each other, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t hap- year if each player sharpens his individual
Copy Editor other to improve. Sometimes this motiva- pened once or twice. strengths over summer, Dylan said.
tion comes from one firmly telling the oth- “It had all been building up,” Tyler said. Tyler said, “Once we get our feet wet
er he’s slacking off. Other times it comes “We were aggravated at the team, it wasn’t in the conference tournament, maybe in
They’ve got the same mohawks. The from not wanting to lose to the other one. a good practice, one of us made a mistake the next couple years, we can think about
same piercings. The same athletic attire. In this way, they maintain a sort of and called the other out on it. … I wouldn’t winning the conference tournament and
And, unless you look really closely, the symbiotic relationship, constantly depend- necessarily call it a fistfight; it was more a getting into the NCAA tournament.”
same face. ing on the other one to elevate their own wrestling match.” Soccer aside, there are some key differ-
Freshmen Dylan and Tyler Stegall are individual standards. Dylan said, “It had ences between the two. Tyler plays guitar,
about as identical as identical twins can “I think there’s a to be broken up, and we for example. “I love playing guitar almost
get. level of understanding were sent home after too much,” he said. “I don’t need anybody
“Sometimes people say I’m nicer than
Dylan,” Tyler said. “I don’t know if I’m
between twins that you “They know each other’s that.” to listen, I don’t care if I’m bad or good —
don’t get between other Each twin is able to it’s just something I enjoy to do.”
nicer, I think it’s just Dylan’s pretty blunt, people,” head soccer preferences, and then they predict where the other Their majors are different, too. Dylan is
and maybe some of the things he says can coach Gerry D’Arcy will be on the field at majoring in sports management and wants
come off as mean.” said. “They know how have that extra ingredi- any given time. Though to be a coach when he’s older. On the other
It always takes at least a couple days each are going to move one may be tempted to hand, Tyler, who loves numbers, is a busi-
before an acquaintance can tell the two on the field, they know ent of being twins.” call it twintuition, Dylan ness major and hopes to work in an office.
apart. Even their coaches and teammates each other’s preferences and Tyler both said such They don’t know if their different career
at Otterbein initially called them by their and then they have that Gerry D’Arcy perception isn’t any dif- paths will keep them living in the same
last names, their jersey numbers or simply extra ingredient of being
“Twin.” twins. They know what head soccer coach ferent who have of team-
mates
than that
played
town, though they’d like to live relatively
close.
The brothers have been playing on the each other is about, how together for a long time. “You always have someone there for
same soccer team since fourth grade. They they will react in certain “A successful, really you,” Tyler said. “He’s like a best friend and
also took the same classes throughout high situations.” good team always knows what each other he’s always there. I’ve never felt (lonely). It’s
school and maintained the same high GPA Tyler said, “We compete with each other is going to do, they know each other well, definitely a blessing.”
— that is, until Tyler took an extra class to a certain extent. But as far as playing in and that’s already tied in with Tyler and I,” Dylan said, “He’s been such an impor-
and bumped his up by .005. actual games outside of practice, I think we Dylan said. “We know each other like the tant part of my life. I don’t know what
“Everything is a little competition,” both want the same thing — and that’s to back of our hands because we’ve been with I would do without him. Obviously, I’m
Dylan said. “I think it’s made us better win. We try and do the best to ensure we’re each other our entire lives.” going to have to live without him, and I’m
overall, just because we always have some- both performing at the highest level.” Dylan can think of times when he could able to do that completely. But it’s nice to
one there who pushes us to do our best.” The twins inherited this skill from their count on Tyler to be exactly where he have him around, someone that’s always
dad. needs him to be, but he can also think of there, that knows you up and down, that
“He was the same way,” Tyler said. “He times when he could count on other team- knows if something’s wrong.” t&c
always pushed us to be the best that we mates for the same thing.
could, so we push each other quite often.” In the fall, the soccer team will try
Figuratively and literally, as it turns out. to avenge last season’s 3-14-2 record. It
The two don’t frequently fight with each might have a shot at the OAC title this
kickin’ around: Identical twins Dylan and Tyler Stegall are alike in many ways, often confusing teammates and acquaintances. photo by kristen sapp