NORTON, Mass. – The Wheaton College (Mass.) men's soccer team played visiting University of Texas at Dallas to a 0-0 draw in the 2023 season opener this afternoon at Keefe Field on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.

The teams both stand at 0-0-1 for the season in the first-ever meeting between the schools.

The squads combined for 12 shots with just one one frame. They each were awarded three corner kicks as well.

The Comets looked to crack the scoring column just over 17 minutes into the opening half when they were awarded a free kick about three yards from the top of the 18-yard box. Senior midfielder Kane Kidwell (Bangkok, Thailand) fired the unabated shot, but was blocked by the Lyons' defense to keep the contest scoreless. 

The only save of the match came when Wheaton senior midfielder Robert Lloyd (Lexington, Mass.) unleashed a shot that was intercepted in the far left corner by junior keeper Michael Hesse (Pearland, Texas), who was credited with his fourth career shutout at the completion of the match.

The teams combined for just four shots in the first half, including three from the home Lyons, who controlled play for the majority of the period.

Despite the Comets holding a 6-2 shooting edge in the second half, quality scoring chances were hard to come by in a half that was marred by eight offside calls. Wheaton was a victim of one such infraction when sophomore forward Daniel Medina (Yonkers, (N.Y.) threaded a cross through the UT Dallas defense to classmate Leao Nelson (Bar Harbor, Maine), who managed to slip behind the Comets' backline a hair to early to call back a possible breakaway scoring opportunity for the Lyons.

Sophomore goalie Michael O'Gara (Ardmore, Pa.) was untested in net for Wheaton in his second career clean sheet for the home team. 

The Lyons return to action on Sunday, September 3 when they travel to Standish, Maine to take on Saint Joseph's College (Maine) for a 2:00 p.m. start, while UT Dallas heads North on interstate 95 to take on Babson College on the same day for a 2:00 p.m. contest in Babson Park, Mass.