20 seconds–That’s how long the men’s soccer team gave the United States Coast Guard Academy on Tuesday afternoon before the Cards took the lead and never looked back. The Bears had 20 seconds to forget about records and statistics and just focus on the game at hand. But when Geoff Zartarian ’11 scored off of a hard shot from the left side that deflected off of the goaltender, the Cardinals ensured that the Bears would have to play through another 89 minutes and 40 seconds, as well as two more Wesleyan goals, reminding everyone that this Cardinal team should be taken very seriously. After all, they remain undefeated, with a 6-0-2 record, the second time in the last four years Wesleyan has been undefeated after eight games.
The 3-0 victory over Coast Guard was sweet revenge after last year’s matchup, during which the Bears stole a 3-2 overtime win. It was also a highlight for Keisuke Yamashita ’10 and Ian Waldron ’13, each of who scored and assisted on the other’s tally. Yamashita’s team-leading third goal of the season came at the 30-minute mark, with Waldron scoring just 36 seconds later. It was an exciting game for Waldron, who recorded both his first goal and first assist at Wesleyan. NESCAC Player of the Week, Asante Brooks ’10 assisted on Zartarian’s game-winner. The second half saw no scoring from either team.
Adam Purdy ’13 and Nigel Stacey ’11 split time in the net. Purdy played for just under 78 minutes, making three saves and allowing no goals. The team also continued with a deep bench, as 28 players saw the field. This was the team’s fifth shutout of the season.
In addition, the Division III national rankings were released on Tuesday. Wesleyan broke into the national top 25 this week, coming in at number 15, and jumped up to second in New England, behind Williams. The Cards are also ranked 10th nationally in goals-against average, having only allowed three goals in eight games. Wesleyan additionally began the week ranked seventh nationally in save percentage. A comparison to 2008 shows the extent of the Cardinals’ defensive strength; through eight games last season, Wesleyan had given up 15 goals, five times as many as this fall.
This Saturday, the Cards take on NESCAC rival Bowdoin at home. It is Wesleyan’s second-to-last home game of the regular season. The team then heads outside of the conference on Wednesday night to challenge Western Connecticut State University. Saturday’s game begins at 2 p.m. on Jackson Field.
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