MIDDLETOWN, CT. - Snapping a decade long losing-streak off the foot of junior
Sam Wheeler '27, the Wesleyan men's soccer team handed No. 21 Amherst College a 2-1 showstopping NESCAC loss in front of a rowdy crowd of Wesleyan soccer alumni on Saturday afternoon following 90 minutes of ferocious competition.
Dating back to Halloween 2015, the last Cardinals (5-2-2 overall, 3-0-2 NESCAC) victory over the Mammoths (5-2-3 overall, 2-2-2 NESCAC) came at a 1-0 margin in the NESCAC Championship, a massive upset in the quarterfinal round as the Mammoths were seeded first overall. The Cardinals would go on to play in the NESCAC finals.
Scoring his second goal in two games,
Aiden Londergan '27 was the first to the board, closing out the first half with seven minutes to spare and a one-goal lead. Despite being outpaced by an aggressive Mammoths team, the Cardinals pressed on the attack, regaining possession on the throw in.
Joshwin Jennings '27 set up a cross pass into the box from out left with Londergan waiting down low for the final touch to slip the ball over the line.
The Mammoths did not take kindly to the deficit. Opening the second half with just under 10 minutes of action underway, Sam Davis scored from the goal line, punching the ball behind Cardinals' goalkeeper
Mathis Blanc '26 through as a scrum ensued. The game remained tied up at one as both teams up the ante with hopes to avoid a draw.
With seven minutes remaining, the Cardinals were awarded a free kick from out left as Wheeler, tripped up above the box, was the catalyst for his own goal. Setting the kick, Yousuff Saeed '27 took the shot from his right foot, the ball landing at the far post for Wheeler to knock it behind Trey Sheppard. With less than a minute to go, Blanc came up with a massive save on the line, covering the ball to hold time after his initial save fell behind him, nearly rolling over the line.
Outshot by a 17-9 margin, freshman Cash Ford led the offensive charge for the Cardinals with four shots of his own.
Earning the shutout victory, Blanc finished his afternoon in goal with six saves. Sheppard finished with one save.
The Cardinals return to action on Tuesday, Oct. 7, when they host Trinity at 4 p.m.
