Wesleyan Upends Bowdoin in Men's Soccer First Round
Courtesy Bowdoin Sports Information
BRUNSWICK, Maine - The Wesleyan University men's soccer team scored more goals than any Bowdoin opponent this season and earned a first-round upset in the NESCAC Tournament on Sunday in Brunswick, 4-1. The seventh-seeded Cardinals (7-4-3) advance to the NESCCAC Semifinals next weekend where they will play at top-seeded Williams. The 21st-ranked Polar Bears (11-3-1) see their six-game unbeaten streak come to an end and will hope for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament when pairings are announced next weekend.
Four different Cardinals scored as Wesleyan rebounded from a 1-0 defeat at the hands of the Polar Bears yesterday afternoon. Kevin Lohela got things going in the 13th minute, taking a through-pass from Matt Nevin and finding the back of the net for a one-goal lead. Following several great chances for Bowdoin, the Cardinals capitalized late in the half, when a low shot off the foot of Ross Pemmerl deflected off a Bowdoin defender and past a diving Nathan Lovitz with just 14 seconds left in the period to give Wesleyan a 2-0 lead at halftime.
Lovitz kept Bowdoin in the contest in the second half, making a pair of incredible saves on consecutive rushes by Wesleyan, but the Polar Bears could not get any closer. The Cardinals added two more goals, including another ball that deflected off a Bowdoin defender, from Nevin and Josh Stephens at 72:38 and 77:55. The Polar Bears got a goal from Wolf Grueber at 79:23 to close out the scoring.
Lovitz made seven saves for Bowdoin, while Wesleyan's Matt Gnall played a solid game between the pipes for the Cardinals, earning seven saves.
