Men's soccer seeks third straight regular season and tourney titles sweep

November 1, 2007

NORTON, MA- The Wheaton College men's soccer team is one league tournament championship shy of completing a sweep of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) regular season and tourney titles for the third straight season this weekend, as the Lyons are after their league-best seventh NEWMAC Tournament crown in the conference's 10-year history.

Hosting the semifinal and final rounds for the third consecutive fall and fifth time in the last seven seasons, top seed Wheaton faces fourth-seeded Clark University in Saturday's first semifinal at Keefe Field beginning at 10:30 a.m. With each of the top four seeds advancing to this weekend, the second semifinal features number two Babson College and third seed Springfield College in a rematch of last year's semifinal won by Babson. Sunday's championship game is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. start

The Lyons are seeking their fifth straight NCAA Tournament bid and eighth since 1997. Ranked eighth in New England by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), Wheaton reached double-digit wins for the 16th straight season with a 10-6-3 mark. Having secured their seventh regular season conference crown a week before the regular season ended thanks to a 2-1 triumph over Babson on October 20, the Lyons registered a 4-1-1 mark in league play.

Wheaton's only postseason meeting with Clark came in the opening round of the 2003 NEWMAC Tournament, a game won by the Lyons in Norton. Wheaton has dominated the overall series, having gone unbeaten in 13 of its 14 meetings, with the lone blemish coming last Saturday in Worcester, as the Lyons fell, 1-0. The Cougars, who are 7-4-6 on the season, advanced past fifth seed Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 2-1 during yesterday's first round.

The Lyons have proven difficult to beat on their own turf this time of year, boasting an 8-2-1 record at Keefe in NEWMAC Tournament play and a 17-4-2 overall postseason home mark. Wheaton has been unbeaten in its last eight postseason games at home, five of which came via shutouts, and hasn't dropped a playoff contest in Norton since 2002.

Wheaton has experienced great balance on the offensive front, as seven different players have accounted for game-winning goals. The Lyon freshman class has provided immediate contributions, as the first-year group has totaled nearly two-thirds of Wheaton's offensive output and all of the team's goalkeeping numbers. Freshman Josh Solomon (Acton, MA/Acton-Boxboro Regional) leads the Wheaton front line with 17 points on six goals and five assists.

Classmates David Ferriero (Medway, MA/Medway) and Yuri Moreira (Marlboro, MA/Northfield Mount Hermon) have accounted for 15 and 12 points, respectively, combining to score four game-winners. Senior Dan Chong (Miami, FL/Coral Reef) and freshman Kyle Sye (Acton, MA/Acton-Boxboro Regional) round out the double-figure scoring with 11 points apiece.

Goalkeepers Cole Davidson (Needham, MA/Salisbury School) and Chris Smart (Brookfield, CT/Brookfield) have combined to start all 19 games. Davidson has started in nine matches, posting a 1.35 goals against average with one shutout, while Smart is 7-1-2 with a 1.05 GAA and two shutouts.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 11/1/07.
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