Boxscore
MIDDLETOWN, CT - Williams men's soccer fell to Wesleyan today on the road 2-1 in double overtime on a goal in the 109th minute. It was the team's first loss of the season. The Ephs controlled play throughout the game, outshooting the Cardinals 20-9 on the match. However, only seven shots were on goal, and Wesleyan goalkeeper Adam Purdy kept the Ephs in check with six saves.
Williams is now 2-1-1 on the season, while the Cardinals improved to 4-0-1.
The Cardinals found a chink in the Ephs' defense early, scoring their first goal in only the third minute on the first shot of the match. Forward Noah Scheslinger crossed the ball on the ground from the right side of the net into the middle of the box; the cross found Schlesigner's strike-partner Evan Hazelett, who hit the ball first time, driving it past Eph keeper Than Finan '13 to make the score 1-0.
The goal seemed to light a fire under Williams, and the team controlled the rest of the half. The Ephs outshot the Cardinals 8-2 the remaining 42 minutes but were unable to find a way past Purdy, and the teams entered the break with the Cardinals up 1-0.
As the second half opened, the Ephs continued to bombard Purdy's net, forcing the keeper to make three saves in the first 15 minutes of the half. The Williams attack then tailed off, as the men only managed one shot – which was blocked – in the next 20 minutes.
Finally, in the 80th minute, the Ephs broke through. Striker Dan Morrisroe '12 picked up a loose ball on the left side of the box and crossed it to striker Matt Kastner '14, who banged a header past Purdy to tie the game 1-1.
The final ten minutes of the half saw the Ephs hit three shots toward Purdy's net, but each went wide. The Cardinals' final opportunity, a shot from Zach Dixon in the 88th minute, went over the net, and the teams were forced to enter over time.
Both teams managed one shot on goal in the first overtime. However, Finan and Purdy each came up with saves, and the teams remained even after the first extra period.
As the second overtime progressed, it appeared as though the teams were headed for a draw. Then, in the 109th minute, the Cardinals broke the deadlock. Hazelett found himself with the ball on the left side of the net and sent a cross to Finan's back post, where Cardinal Harrison Lewis kept the ball from going out of bounds with a volley back towards the six. Wesleyan's Rory O'Neil was in the right place: He headed the ball into the goal to give the Cardinals the victory.
Williams will look to rebound from the loss tomorrow at home against Bowdoin. The teams are slated to play at Cole Field tomorrow at 1:30 p.m; it will be the first game played at Cole Field this season.
