2007 NEWMAC MEN'S SOCCER TOURNAMENT - Wheaton blanks Clark, 2-0, moves to final for third straight year

November 3, 2007

NORTON, MA- The top-seeded Wheaton College men's soccer team tallied a goal in each half during its 2-0 win over fourth seed Clark University in Saturday's New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament semifinal on Keefe Field, as the Lyons advance to the title game for the third straight fall.

In search of its third consecutive conference crown, Wheaton is set to face number two Babson College in a rematch of last year's championship game, won by the Lyons. Game time is set for 1:00 p.m. Avenging last Saturday's 1-0 loss to Clark, Wheaton has been unbeaten in its last nine postseason games at home, six of which ended in shutouts. Ranked eighth in New England by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), the Lyons are now 11-6-3. The Cougars fall to 7-5-6.

Wheaton picked up today's game-winner at 35:15, as sophomore Adam Sussman (Swampscott, MA/Swampscott) took advantage of his substitution just 45 seconds earlier. Receiving a feed from freshman David Winrow (South Weymouth, MA/Weymouth) on the right side of the box, Sussman redirected the ball with a diving header that made its way into the left corner of the goal.

Each team had a chance to break the stalemate earlier in the first half, with Wheaton's opportunity coming with 31 minutes to go, as freshman David Ferriero's (Medway, MA/Medway) shot at an open target was directed just left of the goal frame. With 19 minutes to play, Clark junior Mike Trobagis (Acton, MA/Acton-Boxboro Regional) also had an open look as Wheaton's keeper came out to challenge, but Trobagis' shot went wide right.

The hosts doubled their advantage a little over 10 minutes into the second half, as a trio of freshmen combined for Wheaton's tally. After a restart taken on the right flank from Eric Driscoll (Lexington, MA/Lexington), Ferriero played the free kick over to Yuri Moreira (Marlboro, MA/Northfield Mount Hermon School), who one-timed his shot past Cougar junior keeper Peter Wise (Providence, RI/Classical).

Clark didn't have many offensive pushes after that. Their best chances came in the 83rd minute, when sophomore Preben Gietz (Waterloo, Belgium/Saint John's International) managed to get a head on a ball near the endline, but Wheaton freshman goalie Cole Davidson (Needham, MA/Salisbury School) was in position to make the stop. On an ensuing corner kick, sophomore Tom Ashley (Boulder, CO/Boulder) found open space just inside the top of the box, but his right-footed strike sailed over the crossbar.

Davidson picked up the shutout win with two stops, while Wise was credited with three saves. The Lyons held advantages of 14-9 in shots and 4-3 in corner kicks.

2007 NEWMAC MEN'S SOCCER TOURNAMENT
Wheaton 2, Clark 0

SCORING 1st 2nd Final
Clark (7-5-6) 0 0 0
Wheaton (11-6-3) 1 1 2

1st Half: WC- Adam Sussman (David Winrow) 35:15

2nd Half: WC- Yuri Moreira (David Ferriero, Eric Driscoll) 55:04

Goalie Saves: WC- Cole Davidson 2; CU- Peter Wise 3

Shots: WC- 14; CU- 9

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