NEWARK, Del. - - A devastating last second goal spoiled an otherwise dominating performance by the Wilmington University men's soccer team over Bloomfield on Saturday afternoon at the new WU Athletics Complex in the first annual Homecoming Weekend, as the Deacons snuck away with a 1-0 double overtime victory.
"I thought we played well today," ninth year head coach Nick Papanicolas said." We dominated the possession and the stat sheet, we just couldn't score. I'm real proud of our guys. I thought we represented ourselves well today. We were inefficient in one aspect of the game, and it came back to bite us."
The Wildcats (2-4, 1-2 CACC) led in all categories in the stat book, holding a 17-9 shot advantage and a 10-1 advantage on corner kicks over the Deacons (3-2, 1-0 CACC). The only stat they did not hold an advantage in was the most important one, however; the score.
Pressing to get one final attack in the offensive zone, the Wildcats pushed forward as the clock reached the 110th minute in the second overtime. Unable to get a shot off following a free kick, the Wildcats were caught on counter attack from Bloomfield.
Clearing the ball out of the back, the Deacons' Cesar Ventura sent a long ball up and over the defense, allowing Kemar Richards to run on to it and head 1-on-1 against Wildcat goalkeeper Chad Jenkins. Heading down the left flank, Richards pulled the trigger and beat Jenkins to his left side and inside the far post.
Although the Wildcats had chances throughout the entire match, the best opportunity to score may have come in the 104th minute off a set piece. After a foul on Bloomfield that put the ball on the left side of the goal and 22 yards out, Tommy Quaranta rocketed a low screamer past the wall and to the near post. The ball beat the Deacon keeper, but hit the middle of the post and bounced out, staying in play.
Quaranta and Musa Wiah led the Wildcats with five shots each, while Ray Kuemmer tallied three shots and Otis Williams added two.
Jenkins came up with two saves for the Wildcats while Deacon goalkeeper Kieran Moran made three stops for the shutout victory.
"It was tremendous to have all the student staff and alumni come out and support in the culmination of the Homecoming Weekend," Papanicolas said of the fan support during the University's first Homecoming. "Our guys played their hearts out with a packed stands. We couldn't ask for more."
The Wildcats take to the road for their next two matches, as they first head to Philadelphia on Tuesday before heading to Post on Saturday for more Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference action. Tuesday's contest is slated for a 4:00 p.m. start.
