NORTON, MA- Double overtime was avoided for the first time in
four years between the Wheaton College men's soccer team and Keene
State College Saturday afternoon, and junior Yuri Moreira
(Marlboro, MA/Northfield Mount Hermon School) scored twice
for the second consecutive game in leading the Lyons to a 2-0
non-league victory on a rain-soaked Keefe Field.
Holding a slim 6-5-2 series advantage, regionally-ranked Wheaton
stayed unbeaten at 4-0-1. The Owls slipped below .500 with a
2-3 mark. The Lyons are ranked sixth in New England by the
National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).
Moreira upped his team lead to six goals with unassisted tallies
in the 31st and 81st minutes, moving into ninth place on the
school's all-time scoring list with 25 career goals. Junior
keeper Cole Davidson (Needham, MA/Salisbury
School) collected four saves in posting his second shutout
of the fall.
Keene senior Peter Kersker (Ipswich,
MA/Ipswich) recorded all six of his saves in the opening
half, as the Lyons held a 13-5 shot advantage while taking eight of
the stanza's 13 corner kicks. The Owls posted a team save in
the second half to finish the game with seven stops. All
told, the hosts outshot Keene State, 19-9, with a 9-6 edge in
corners.
The play leading up to Moreira's game-winner started in the
middle of the field, where he stole the ball from the defense,
carried into open space and rifled a shot past Kersker and into the
middle netting. His second tally transpired on a restart
following a carded foul on the left side of the field.
Moreira ripped his shot from 30 yards out into the lower left
corner of the net.
Wheaton is back in action tomorrow afternoon for a non-league
home tilt against Roger Williams University at 2:30 p.m. The Hawks
are receiving votes in the regional poll.
