MIDDLETOWN, Conn. ---(Brian Katten, Wesleyan) Sophomore Max Jones picked the perfect time for his first goal of the season. He tucked a shot into the lower leftcorner of the goal in the 71st minute to give the #2 seeded Wesleyan Cardinals a 1-0 victory over #7 Connecticut College in a NESCAC men's soccer quarterfinal Saturday afternoon.
Jones took a feed from sophomore Brandon Sousa, beat one man going to his right, and then fired a low shot that justbeat Connecticut College senior goalie Max Nichols as he dove to his right. It was the second assist of the season for Sousa.
The two teams spent most of the first half trading goal kicks, as neither could muster many quality scoring opportunities. The Cardinals may have had their best chance to score in the half just seven minutes in when sophomore Chris Kafina ripped a low screamer to the right of Nichols from 10 yards, who moved over to make the save.
The best Connecticut College chance of the half came on a corner kick with 12:30 left on a corner from junior Doug Garabedian. The curving shot headed for the top left corner of the goal but was punched out by senior keeper Emmett McConnell.
Wesleyan, 9-5-1, held the advantage in shots in the period, 5-4, but the Camels had the only four corner kicks of the period.
The Cardinals came out strong in the second half and nearly scored in the first 10 minutes when a crossing pass from Omar Bravo was flicked high on new by junior Matt Lynch. Camel keeper Nichols leaped high to snare the attempt.
Connecticut College, 8-5-2, had its best chance of the game with 26:55 left on a corner kick that was headed on goal by junior Dillon Kerr. The try just deflected off the crossbar, and the Cardinals were able to clear the rebound. The only other serious challenge by the Camels came with 9:30 left on a breakaway by freshman Weller Hlinomaz.
Sophomore Ben Toulotte managed to recover defensively for Wesleyan and stuffed the attempt, allowing the defense to clear.
Connecticut College outshot Wesleyan, 11-9, in the game, but Wesleyan managed to put six on goal to just five for the Camels. Both goalies registered five saves.
The Cardinals advance to the tournament semifinals and will face #3 seeded Williams at Amherst College on Saturday,November 9. Top-seeded Amherst will face Bowdoin in the other semifinal.
