WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Senior defender Ryan Bell (Berwyn, Pa.) netted a career-high three goals and became the first backfield player in program history to record a hat trick while leading the Wheaton College (Mass.) men's soccer team to a 5-1 victory over host University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) this afternoon at the USJ Soccer Field in West Hartford, Conn.
The Lyons improve to 3-1 on the season. Wheaton's 13 goals scored this season marks the most goals scored through the first four games since 2014 when the Lyons tallied 19 markers through their first quartet of matches.
The Blue Jays fall to 0-3.
Wheaton dominated play and out-shot the Blue Jays 29-6. The Lyons tallied a 13-3 shots on goal advantage, while owning a 10-1 margin on corner kicks.
The Lyons scored three goals within the first 42 minutes. The Blue Jays' only marker was in the final minute before intermission. Wheaton added two insurance goals (both by Bell) within the first 15 minutes of the second half.
Wheaton was quick to generate offense from the start, when senior forward Alasdair Ferrier (Concord, N.H.) scored two goals within the first 20 minutes of the match. Ferrier tied a career-high with two goals this afternoon.
Ferrier put the Lyons on the board in the fourth minute, when he received a pass from senior defender Ethan Alfano (East Greenwich, R.I.) to give Wheaton a 1-0 lead.
In the 20th minute, Ferrier was awarded a penalty kick and capitalized by scoring his first career PK to give the Lyons a 2-0 advantage.
The Lyons tacked on their third goal of the match when Bell added his first marker in the 42nd minute, which was assisted by sophomore midfielder Caleb Cassetta-Waxman (Denver, Colo.) to give the Lyons a 3-0 lead.
The Blue Jays broke up the Lyons' bid for a shutout in the final minute before intermission when senior forward Dane Stephens (Linstead, Jamaica) connected on a pass with graduate forward Henry McGarrah V (Hartford, Conn.) for the only Saint Joseph goal.
In the 55th minute, Wheaton took advantage of a corner kick opportunity when junior midfielder Aidan Doyle (Kingston, Mass.) recorded his first collegiate assist. Doyle hooked up on a cross-corner pass to Bell to give the Lyons a 4-1 margin.
Bell's historic day continued four minutes later when he netted his third goal of the match and the final goal of the contest to extend the lead 5-1.
Junior keeper Michael O'Gara (Ardmore, Pa.) turned away two shots in 74:38 of play, before yielding to Wheaton senior goalie Chris Housel (Essex Fells, N.J.), who appeared in his fourth career match and played the final 15:22 in goal.
The Blue Jays combined to utilize three goalkeepers in the contest. Starting goalkeeper junior Andres Diosa (Cheshire, Conn) stopped one shot in 3:54. First year netminder Will Slayton (Manchester, Conn.) then came in relief and recorded a personal-best five saves in 62:39, while classmate keeper Aidan Peterson (Cheshire, Conn) appeared in his first collegiate action and turned away two shots in the final 23:27 of regulation.
The Lyons return to action at home on Sunday, September 8 at 2:00 p.m., when they host the University of Massachusetts Boston on Keefe Field, while the Blue Jays open the Great Northeast Athletic Conference slate at Rivier University in Nashua, N.H. on Wednesday, September 11 at 7:00 p.m.
