STANDISH, Maine – Junior forward Declan Rhatigan (Holderness, N.H.) netted his first career hat trick to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) men's soccer team over host Saint Joseph's College (Maine) this evening in the season opener for both teams at the SJC Athletics Complex in Standish, Maine.
The Lyons improve to 1-0 on the season, while the Monks dip to 0-1.
Rhatigan becomes the first player in school history to record a hat trick in the season opening contest, while quite possibly being the tallest player at six-foot, five-inches tall, to score three times in a game for Wheaton. The Blue and White's goal total was its most in a season opener since a 6-2 win at Dean College to open the 2018 campaign on August 31.
The Lyons completely dominated the match, holding Saint Joseph's without a shot for the balance of the night, while firing 21 tries, including 10 on frame. Wheaton was awarded nine corner kicks, while the Monks registered none for the game. Saint Joseph played the majority of the match with a player down after losing a man to a red card just 10 minutes into the contest.
Rhatigan's first marker came on a tremendous feed from sophomore back Austin Hoadley (South Kent, Conn.) in the ninth minute of action. Junior defender Owen Kane (Pembroke, Mass.) sent a short cross to Hoadley on the right sideline, before he served a long ball into the box and onto the foot of Rhatigan, where he converted a touch into the right side of the net to give the Lyons a 1-0 edge.
Rhatigan took advantage of another brilliant cross, this time off the foot of junior Camajé Easton-Smith (Hamilton, Bermuda), to score his second goal of the year. Easton-Smith lifted an offering from the left side of the field to the right slot for Wheaton, where Rhatigan connected with a diving header into the right corner of the net in the 20th minute of play for a 2-0 margin.
Rhatigan wasted little time collecting his third tally of the night, scoring just 6:43 into the second half to give the Lyons a comfortable 3-0 lead. Senior midfielder Joey Everett (Danbury, Conn.) sent a lead cross over the Monks' defense, just over midfield, that Rhatigan ran down and then lifted over the goalie, who had come off his line, and into the empty net.
Wheaton capped the scoring when first year forward Tanner Rock (Clifton Park, N.Y.) became the first Lyon since 2012 to score his first collegiate goal in his first career match. Sophomore midfielder Jack Morlock (Brookfield, Conn.) served a cross-field pass to first year forward Vinny McGann (Chelmsford, Mass.) on the right side. McGann who dribbled down the sideline, before lifting a cross to the left slot, where Rock scored on a header through the rain drops and into the left side of the net with 3:30 left to go in the game. Rock became the first rookie to notch his first marker in his collegiate debut since Michael Cronin and Kai Gooden both scored against Salem State University in Norton on August 31.
Junior goalie Nick Phinney (Gorham, Maine) was untested in net for the first 81:08 of action for Wheaton to record his first collegiate victory, before yielding to classmate Ty Nolan (Norwich, Vt.) for the final 8:52 of the combined shutout effort. First year keeper Ziggy Babbott (Hinesburg, Vt.) stopped one of two shots that he faced in the opening 9:59 of play for Saint Joseph's, while senior netminder Logan Davis (Naples, Maine) turned away five of eight shots in the remaining 78:42 of action for the home team.
The Lyons return to the pitch on Tuesday, September 2 when they travel to Williamstown, Mass. to take on No. 10 Williams College at 4:00 p.m., while the Monks head to Lewiston, Maine to play Bates College on September 3 at 6:00 p.m.
