NORTON, Mass. — Sophomore forward Gael Vera (Westminster, Mass.) netted a pair of goals in the first four minutes of play to lead No. 10 Wheaton College (Mass.) men's soccer over visiting Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 4-0, this afternoon in New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference play at Keefe Field on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.
The Lyons, who are ranked in the most recent United Soccer Coaches national poll, improve to 12-0-3 to keep their school-record unbeaten streak intact and are now a perfect 5-0 in league play. The win clinched a NEWMAC playoff spot for the home team and marked the third straight shutout for Wheaton. The Lyons have allowed just one marker in their last seven matches. Wheaton's win total is its highest since it posted a 12-5 mark in 2021.
The Engineers slip to 5-4-5 and 2-2-1.
The Lyons dominated possession of the match, owning a 16-6 shot advantage and surrendered just one shot on frame.
Wheaton was awarded three of the four corner kicks in the contest.
The Lyons wasted no time in seizing the momentum, scoring within the contest's first minute. Vera controlled the ball in the box, made a move to elude a defender and go to his right, before uncorking a shot inside the far right post just 35 seconds into the match for a 1-0 lead for the Blue and White. Less than four minutes later, Vera carried the ball into the box and stopped on a dime, as his defender lost his feet underneath him and Vera fired a shot into the upper right corner of the far post for his seventh marker of the year and a 2-0 advantage with just 3:59 gone in the opening half.
WPI looked to cut the deficit in half, in the 11th minute, when senior back Evan Haas (Concord, N.H.) had a good look at the net, but his shot hit off the right post to deny the Engineers' best opportunity to get on the board.
Wheaton added to its lead with a goal following a corner kick before the midway point of the first half in the 18th minute. Junior forward Declan Rhatigan (Holderness, N.H.) corralled the ball in the box after a scrum in front of the net and trickled a centering cross to the front of the goal, where classmate Owen Kane (Pembroke, Mass.) swung his left foot through to boot the ball into the back of the net for his fourth goal of the season.
The Lyons tallied the fourth goal of the match with 16:42 to play in the contest. Wheaton seemed to be doing everything right in the first 30 minutes of the match and its final goal was no different. Senior midfielder Baden McLaughlin (Yarmouth, Maine) began the set piece on the corner kick by playing it short from the left flag to classmate Joey Everett (Danbury, Conn.) outside of the box. Everett lifted a cross into the box, where first year midfielder Brent Karpowich (Cranston, R.I.) elevated to direct a header into the far right corner and out of the diving reach of the WPI keeper to give the home team a 4-0 margin with his first collegiate goal in the 29th minute of action.
The quartet of goals proved to be more than enough for the Lyons with neither team denting the scoreboard for the final 61:42 of action.
Senior keeper Michael O'Gara (Ardmore, Pa.) stopped the only shot he faced to register his fifth shutout of the season and the 22nd blank sheet of his career. He now has 4324:26 career minutes played to move past Cole Davidson (2007-09) and into sixth on the Wheaton all-time list.
First year midfielder Tedi Ajazi (Shrewsbury, Mass.) paced the Engineers' offense with a pair of shots, including their only try on frame, while sophomore keeper Savio Ketnouvong (Paxton, Mass.) turned away five shots.
The Lyons return to action on Saturday, October 25 when they travel to New London, Conn. to take on NEWMAC rival United States Coast Guard Academy at 12:00 p.m., while WPI heads to Babson Park, Mass. to play Babson College in league action on the same day at 1:00 p.m.
