ORANGEBURG, N.Y. - - A late goal was not enough for the Wilmington University men's soccer team as the Wildcats fell, 2-1, to Dominican in both teams Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference opener on Thursday afternoon at the DC Athletic Field.
In a game that saw eight separate cards, Wilmington (1-2, 0-1 CACC) couldn't capitalize on playing with a man-advantage since the 22:12 mark of the first half while Dominican (2-0-1, 1-0 CACC) built a two goal lead in the second half.
After a scoreless first half, the Chargers came out in the second half and got on the board first with a goal in the 63rd minute. From the least likely of offensive support, the Chargers goalkeeper Andrew Ruiz sent a ball in the air towards Clodalian Lolo who beat Wildcat goalkeeper Chad Jenkins for the 1-0 lead.
In a roughly played second half that saw four yellow cards and one red card, the Chargers were able to take advantage of one Wilmington foul inside the penalty box at the 87 minute mark. Sony Narro beat Jenkins on the penalty kick, moving the Chargers advantage to 2-0 with three minutes remaining.
The Wildcats were able to get within one goal, but it was too little too late as freshman Lance Berry scored his first collegiate goal in 59 seconds showing on the clock. Following another red card on the Chargers that put them down two men at the 88:36 mark, Berry buried his first goal 25 seconds later to cut the lead in half.
Dominican, voted to finish behind Wilmington in fifth place in the 2012 CACC Preseason Poll, remained undefeated in the early going by hanging on in the final minute.
Although the numbers were uneven on the field, the game play was nearly even as the Chargers held a slight lead in shots for the match, 14-12, including a 9-8 advantage in the second half. The hosts also held the advantage in corner kicks, 4-3, for the game.
Jenkins made 10 stops in goal for the Wildcats, facing 12 shots on goal from the Chargers while Ruiz made five saves on six shots on goal, adding his first assist on the year.
Wilmington returns home after opening the season on the road in its first three matches of 2012. The Wildcats square off against one of their toughest opponents on their schedule in their home-opener, facing 2011 Final Four finalist Franklin Pierce starting at 2 p.m.
