Men's Soccer Earns Clean Sheet Victory in WHAC Opener
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Defiance College (OH)
(0-2-0, 0-1-0)
|
0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Cleary (MI)
(2-1-0, 1-0-0)
|
2 | 1 | 3 |
Team Stats
| Game Statistics | Defiance College (OH) | Cleary (MI) |
|---|---|---|
| Shots (on goal) | 11 (3) | 24 (14) |
| Saves | 9 | 3 |
| Fouls | 6 | 8 |
| Corner Kicks | 1 | 11 |
| Offsides | 3 | 5 |
(Howell, MI)-- WHAC teams don't normally play each other in August, but that is what happened Saturday, as the Cleary Cougar men's soccer team hosted the Defiance College Yellow Jackets in a WHAC contest at Lake Trust Stadium. It was Defiance's first conference game since joining the WHAC this offseason.
The two teams traded shots that went off target, but Cleary would build down the field, and earn a throw-in deep in the Yellow Jacket defensive third. Conner Savidge took the long throw, and though it missed the head of Simbarashe Mazarura, it found the head of a Yellow Jacket defender, and deflected into the goal, giving the Cougars a 1-0 lead. Four minutes later, the same situation presented itself, as Savidge took a long throw, and this time the ball pinged around the box before finding the foot of Liam Coyle, who passed it to Jack Heald. Heald powered a shot passed the Defiance goalkeeper, and he scored his first goal of the season, giving the Cougars a 2-0 advantage. That score held for the rest of the first half.
Defiance would grow more into the game in the early goings of the second half, but a counter attack by the Cougars set up the team's third goal. Adam Baldwin had the ball come to him, and as he broke up the middle, he sent a perfectly weighted through-ball to Lesman Morazan. Morazan took his shot on the first touch, and beat the keeper to give Cleary a 3-0 advantage. It was fairly comfortable for the Cougar defense down the stretch, as the game ended by a 3-0 score.
Austin Freemire earned his first win of the season in goal, making 3 saves on 3 shots faced. Cleary outshot Defiance 24-11 in the game, with a 12-3 advantage on shots on goal. Cleary also held an 11-1 advantage on corner kicks in the game.
Cleary is now 2-1 on the season, 1-0 in the WHAC. The Cougars will return to action after Labor Day, when they travel to Alma College to take on the NCAA D3 Scots on Wednesday, September 4. Kickoff is set for 3:00 PM.
