LEXINGTON, Va. - The visiting Western Connecticut State University Wolves fell, 2-0, to the Washington and Lee University Generals in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship Tournament this afternoon at Watt Field. WestConn closes the year at 15-5-3 with its first loss in five games, having qualified for its11th NCAA Tournament thanks to its fifth Little East Conference (LEC) Championship title won last week. The Generals improve to 13-4-4 and will face either Catholic or Oneonta State at home tomorrow at 1 p.m. in the NCAA Second Round.
The only thing separating the Wolves and the Generals over the first 78 minutes of the game was a successful penalty kick by Washington and Lee's Evan DiPaula in the 24th minute. WestConn outshot Washington and Lee, 5-4, in the first half and the teams combined for just three shots-on-goal in the first 33 minutes of the second half. Junior
Kadin Talho (Waterbury, Conn.) and senior captain
Kent Eannarino (Brookfield, Conn.) both had early bids saved by General goalie Will Joseph, before a Wolves' foul 24:15 into the game gave DiPaula a penalty kick that he converted to give the home team a 1-0 lead. Neither team could put a shot on target over the remainder of the first half, although Eannarino and sophomore back
Filipe Dutra (Nauagatuck, Conn.) got off consecutive shots for WestConn in the 37th minute that were both off the mark.
In the second half, Matteo Adler tested WestConn sophomore goalkeeper
Zachary Benson (Milford, Conn.) early, forcing him to make his second save just 91 seconds after the break. Moments later, the Generals earned five corner kicks over a 4:14 span but managed just three errant shots and a fourth by Buster Couhig that Benson turned away. The visitors increased their offensive pressure as the second half wore on and sophomore Nicholas Chevrus (Miami, Fla.) had a bouncing shot from the middle stopped by Joseph in the 77th minute.
Washington and Lee picked up an insurance goal just 1:23 later when Weyimi Agbeyegbe broke free down the left side and got past Benson, who came out slightly to meet him, to make the score, 2-0, with 11:22 left to play. Chevrus nearly cut the Wolves' deficit in half in the 79th minute but was again denied by Joseph. That proved to be the final shot-on-goal of the game, as a WestConn red card, forced the Wolves to play a man down over the final seven minutes. Benson finished with three saves and Joseph had four, while Chevrus paced WestConn with three shots. Dmitri Tulloch was credited with an assist on the second Generals' goal.
