MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – Two penalty kicks, three ties and four lead changes are numbers one rarely sees thrown around in a soccer match but that is what fans were gifted at Jackson Field on Saturday afternoon. In a wild back-and-forth contest, the Wesleyan men's soccer team had enough in the end to get by Colby, 4-3, in the NESCAC opener for both sides.
 
The four goals for Wesleyan marks the most the Cardinals have scored in a NESCAC game since defeating Bates 5-0 back on September 26, 2015. Four different Cardinals scored while the game-winner came off the right foot of Soren Tollis '25 as the sophomore's first career goal in the 81^st minute capped a high-scoring affair.
 
Mario Simoes dazzled in the 14^th minute for Colby as he got the scoring started with a move to his right followed by a 25-yard blast into the upper left corner, past a diving Liam Devanny '23 in net.
 
In the 27^th minute, Wesleyan was quick to respond as Evan O'Brien '24 lofted a pass upfield from his center back position deep in the Cardinal defensive end. Mateo Neighbors '25 came onto the ball and took one touch to get the ball onto his preferred left foot. With just the goalkeeper to beat, Neighbors calmly slotted the ball into the opposite corner to knot the score at 1-1 in the 27^th minute.
 
Just as it seemed the game would be tied heading into the half, Colby took advantage of a misplayed pass at the back of the Cardinal defense. A back pass under pressure was intercepted by Josh Rubin and with Devanny committed, he took one touch to his left and finished with his right foot to give the Mules a 2-1 halftime lead.
 
Even with the disappointment of the late first half goal allowed, Wesleyan started the second on the front foot and capitalized with a scoring chance as Lucas Ruehlemann '25 possessed along the right side of the box before lofting a cross to the far post with the outside of his right foot. The out-swinging pass somehow found the head of Zack Burd '25, who was surrounded by three Mule defenders, and into the back of the net to tie the score once again.
 
The tension continued to rise late on and in the 77^th minute, Kyle Burbage '25 was grabbed around the shoulders in the box, impeding his run onto a centering pass from the right wing. As the referee blew his whistle, pointing to the spot, Dane Harmaty '24 stepped to the spot and calmly slotted his attempt into the lower right corner, just past the diving Colby keeper.
 
As if this contest was any short on drama, the tension rose less than 30 seconds later as this time is was the Cardinals whistled for a foul in the box as Colby's Ethan Franco stepped up and drilled one to the right side of the net, past Devanny who was rooted to his spot in the center of the frame.
 
With the home crowd growing in size, the game reached a fever pitch in the 81^st minute as Phillip Cubeddu '23 played a one-two with Harmaty along the right wing. As Cubeddu came onto the flicked Harmaty pass, two Colby defenders followed Burbage's run towards the goal, leaving a soft spot in behind that was filled by Tollis. Cubeddu spotted the midfielder open and the centering pass was finished for the would-be game-winning goal.
 
Wesleyan is now 21-2-1 all-time against the Mules and are unbeaten (11-0-1) in 12 all-time meetings against Colby in Middletown.
 
Next up for the Cardinals is a big midweek NESCAC clash as Wesleyan welcomes No. 6 nationally-ranked Tufts for a 7:30 PM start on Smith Field.