NORTON, MA- Senior Tyler Ostholthoff's (Hopkinton,
NH/Hopkinton) tally near the end of the first half held up
as the game-winner, propelling the Wheaton College men's soccer
team past Roger Williams University, 1-0 on Sunday at Keefe
Field.
At 5-0-1, the Lyons are off to their best start since beginning
2001 with 10 straight wins. Wheaton stands sixth in the National
Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) New England poll
while improving to 11-0-3 all time against the Hawks. Roger
Williams, which is receiving votes in the regional poll, suffered
its first regulation loss in slipping to 3-3.
Junior Chris Smart (Brookfield, CT/Brookfield)
went untested in net to earn the shutout for the hosts, who held
advantages of 21-8 in shots and 9-1 in corner kicks. For Roger
Williams, junior Peter Plate (Commack, NY/Saint
Anthony's) turned aside seven shots.
Wheaton controlled possession for the majority of the contest,
including when it had advantages of 8-1 in shots and 6-0 in corners
during the first half. Sophomore Conor Finn (Kennebunk,
ME/Kennebunk) had an opportunity in the 14th minute,
bending a shot toward the far post that Plate dove to get a piece
of.
In the 34th minute, the Lyons served a ball from the right side
into the box, where Plate came out to smother the cross before
losing his grasp. With the ball nearing the goal line, a Hawk
defender challenged senior Adam Sussman (Swampscott,
MA/Swampscott) for possession, and the ball trickled to
the left post and Ostholthoff, who knocked it into an open net.
The Blue and White had a couple golden opportunities to build
upon its lead in the second half, but Roger Williams field players
squelched both. During the 78th minute, Wheaton junior back
David Ferriero (Medway, MA/Medway) ran onto a
cross, sending the ball beyond a charging Plate and toward the open
net, but junior Kevin Hand (Wilton, CT/Wilton)
cleared the shot out of the goal mouth. With five minutes left,
Finn deflected a pass over Plate, but a Hawk teammate made another
stop, and Plate recovered the loose ball.
Roger Williams' final chance came with 1:30 remaining, as Hand
redirected a teammate's entry feed over the crossbar after a corner
kick.
Wheaton is back in action Wednesday for a non-conference contest
in Rhode Island at Johnson & Wales University at 3:30 p.m.
