NORTON, Mass. — First year Avery Dinham (Swansea, Mass.) scored his first collegiate goal and assisted on another to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) men's soccer team over visiting Roger Williams University, 2-0, this afternoon at Keefe Field on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.
The Lyons improve to 3-3-6 on the season, while the Hawks slip to 3-4-6. Wheaton entered the match ranked 38th in the nation with a 0.72 goals against mark and allowed a goal or fewer for the 11th time this season.
Wheaton held a 14-9 shot advantage and a 3-2 edge in corner kicks.
The Lyons got on the board in the 63rd minute of play to take a 1-0 lead. Sophomore midfielder Joey Everett (Danbury, Conn.) threaded a cross to the top of the box, where Dinham put a foot on the ball to push it forward, before beating the Roger Williams keeper to the ball and sending a shot into the far left post for his first collegiate goal.
Dinham factored into Wheaton's second score as well. The rookie lifted a pass across the field to sophomore midfielder Baden McLaughlin (Yarmouth, Maine), who collected the ball before firing a shot that tucked just under the crossbar and deflected straight down over the goal line for his first collegiate marker. The goal came in the 80th minute of play to give the home team a two-goal lead.
Roger Williams looked to crack the scoring column first in the 61st minute when junior midfielder John Fogarty (Scituate, Mass.) carried the ball on a breakaway into the right side of the box, before firing a shot on frame. Lyon sophomore keeper Michael O'Gara (Ardmore, Pa.) dove to his right to keep the ball out of the net and the game scoreless just 85 seconds prior to Dinham's goal.
The Hawks had another scoring opportunity late in the match when first year Brandon Rodriguez (Norwalk, Conn.) took a shot off a long throw-in from the right side line, but Wheaton senior midfielder Robert Lloyd (Lexington, Mass.) was there to block the try with less than three minutes to play and keep the clean sheet alive for the home team.
Senior midfielder CJ Sousa (Fall River, Mass.) led Roger Williams with three shots for the day.
O'Gara finished with two saves to post his second shutout in as many days and fifth of the season for the Lyons, while junior goalie Hogan Cain (Nottingham, N.H.) turned away four shots for the Hawks.
Wheaton returns to action on Saturday, October 14 when it travels to Babson Park, Mass. to play New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference rival No. 9 Babson College at 1:00 p.m., while Roger Williams heads to Dudley, Mass. on October 10 for a 3:00 p.m. contest with Nichols College.
