Men's Soccer Suffers 4-1 Setback to Wheaton

By Jim Fenton

NORTON, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University men's soccer team is on its first three-game losing streak since 2022.

The Bears were handed a 4-1 non-conference loss by Wheaton College on Tuesday afternoon at Keefe Field to fall to 2-4.

It marks the first time BSU has lost three straight games since dropping four in a row Sept. 17-22 three years ago.

Wheaton improved to 5-0-1 and is 24-3-3 against the Bears in a series that began in 1992. The Lyons' tie came against nationally ranked Williams College.

The Lyons, who are on a four-game winning streak, and the Bears did all the scoring in the first half with Wheaton jumping to a 3-0 lead just under 20 minutes in.

Senior Aidan Doyle (Kingston, Mass.) scored a pair of goals while sophomore Gael Vera (Westminster, Mass.) added his first goal and an assist for Wheaton.

The Lyons took a 1-0 lead just 10:41 in when Doyle scored on a penalty kick. Vera drew the PK when he was taken down inside the 18.

At 14:25, Doyle scored his sixth goal of the season, assisted by junior Declan Rhatigan (Holderness, N.Y.) and Vera.

A cross was sent into the 18 where BSU won the ball in the air, but a clearing attempt went to Doyle, who one-timed a shot that went off the post and in.

Wheaton took a 3-0 lead at 19:58 on an unassisted goal by Vera.

There was a long volley from behind midfield to inside the 18. Vera, a BSU defender and the goalkeeper converged and the ball rolled inside the six where Vera got to it and scored into an empty net.

BSU got on the scoreboard at 41:23 with freshman Francis Amani (Plymouth, Mass.) scoring his first collegiate goal, assisted by junior Tyler Chang (Acushnet, Mass.).

Off a restart, senior Filippo Mucci (Vineyard Haven, Mass.) sent the ball into the 18 where it was headed backwards by a Wheaton defender to the right side of the six. Amani one-timed a header cross from Chang into the back of the net.

The Lyons took their 4-1 halftime lead at 43:25 on a goal by freshman Vinny McGann (Chelmsford, Mass.) from junior Jacques Violette (Madison, Conn.).

A long volley went from behind midfield to the 18 where a BSU defender fanned on it. McGann ran to the ball, beat a defender and scored inside the far post.

Sophomore goalkeeper Daniel Dias (Brockton, Mass.), making his first start, stopped seven shots for the Bears.

Junior Nick Phinney (Gorham, Maine) had five saves for the Lyons.

BSU is on the road Friday night to play the Mass. College of Liberal Arts in a MASCAC game at 7 p.m.

Wheaton will be in Rhode Island to face Salve Regina on Saturday at 2 p.m.