Box Score Senior forward notches 15th career game-winner for the Lyons
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Senior forward Travis Blair (Hastings, N.Y./Hastings) deposited the game-winning goal into the back of the net in the 103rd minute of the contest to lift the Wheaton College men's soccer team, ranked No. 16 overall in the latest D3soccer.com national poll and No. 21 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) national rankings, to a 2-1 double overtime victory over Springfield College on Saturday afternoon in a conference matchup at Brock-Affleck Field.
At the 101:35 mark of the game, a corner sent in by senior midfielder Luke Finkelstein (Peabody, Mass./Peabody) bounced through the box, and after a blocked shot by a pair of Springfield defenders, Blair fired a shot that deflected off of a Springfield defender and bounced off the right post and into the back of the net to seal the victory for the Lyons.
Junior midfielder Noah Kossoff (New York, N.Y./Birch Wathen Lenox School) opened up the scoring for the Lyons in the 26th minute as he headed a cross over the outstretched hands of Pride junior goalkeeper Billy Schmid (Wethersfield, Conn./Wethersfield) into the goal for his second of the season (12th career). Senior Scott Enman (Brooklyn, N.Y./Packer Collegiate Institute) set up the tally with a service from the right corner of the field to Kossoff for the finish.
Springfield found the equalizer in the 37th minute with a goal from senior Joe LaBella (Wethersfield, Conn./Wethersfield) off a give-and-go pass from junior forward A.J. Vico (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth).
In the second half, both teams combined for 13 shots (eight from Wheaton), while Springfield held a 2-0 advantage in shots in the first overtime period before Blair's second chance opportunity was the difference in the 103rd minute. Wheaton manufactured a 17-11 differential in shots (overall) and both teams tied in corners at four apiece.
Schmid turned away a game-high five shots in the loss (2-1-1) for Springfield. Wheaton first-year goalkeeper David Sorkenn (River Edge, N.J/River Dell Regional) made two saves in the win (3-0-1).
Wheaton (7-0-1, 1-0-0 NEWMAC) travels to Roger Williams University on Wednesday, September 24 for a non-conference matchup at 7 p.m. Springfield (2-1-3, 0-1-0 NEWMAC) hosts Mitchell College tomorrow at noon. The Lyons are now 20-4-1 in the all-time series versus the Pride that dates back to 1995.
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