Wheaton men's soccer in search of sixth NEWMAC Championship

November 2, 2006

NORTON, MA- The Wheaton College men's soccer team begins defense of its New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament championship this weekend, as the Lyons are in search of their sixth title in the league's nine-year history. Wheaton hosts this weekend's semifinal and final rounds for the second straight fall and fourth time in the last six years.

The top-seeded Lyons meet fifth seed United States Coast Guard Academy at Keefe Field Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. In the day's second semifinal at 1:30 p.m., number two Babson College is pitted against sixth seed Springfield College. The semifinal winners meet in Sunday's title game at 1:00 p.m., with Wheaton searching for a fourth straight NCAA Tournament bid.

The Lyons, ranked fifth in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) regional poll, raised their overall record to 11-4-3 after suffering just one loss in their last 11 games. Wheaton, which secured its sixth regular season conference title, finished the fall with a 5-1 mark in league play. The Blue and White hasn't seen Coast Guard in a NEWMAC Tournament game since the 1999 season, when the Bears edged the Lyons, 1-0 in an opening round game.

Wheaton holds a 7-3-1 series mark against Coast Guard, including a 3-2 overtime victory on October 7. The Bears advanced to Saturday's game following yesterday's 1-0 win over fourth seed Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), as they improved to 10-4-3 overall. The Lyons clinched the 2006 regular season crown with a 1-0 shutout over Clark University last Sunday.

This weekend's games feature four of the league's top-five offenses, with Wheaton holding down the second spot with a 1.68 scoring average. The Lyons have proven difficult to beat on their own turf this time of year, boasting a 7-2 record at Keefe in NEWMAC Tournament play and a 16-4-1 overall postseason home mark. Wheaton has won its last six postseason games at home, three of which came via shutouts, and hasn't dropped a playoff contest in Norton since 2002.

Sophomore Dan Lane (Dedham, MA/Worcester Academy) has played a major role in the Lyons' success, leading the team in scoring for the second straight season with 10 goals and 23 points, both of which are good for second on the NEWMAC leaderboard. Lane has posted four game-winners, and Wheaton is 7-0-2 when he contributes at least one point. Seniors Dennis Durao (West Hartford, CT/Northwest Catholic), Cameron Habib (Norfolk, MA/Bridgton Academy) and Ariel Tatum (Cayman Islands, BWI/Holderness School) round out the double-digit scoring with 11, 10 and 10 points, respectively.

Senior goalkeeper Matt Pachniuk (Newtown, CT/Newtown) anchors a defense that has recorded six shutouts while limiting opponents to a goal or less on 12 occasions. Pachniuk is the school's all-time leader in both wins and shutouts with 53 and 27, respectively. He is second in the conference in save percentage and saves per game and third in winning percentage. Giving up more than one goal on just five occasions, Pachniuk was credited with seven-plus saves in five games. He has started in 16 games and has played in all but 311:49 of action.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 11/2/06.
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