NEWARK, Del. - - After leading the team all season long in shots and shots on goal, sophomore forward Musa Wiah final got on the board with a pair of goals, leading the Wilmington University men's soccer team to a 3-1 victory over Dowling in non-conference action on Saturday afternoon at the WU Athletics Complex.
The Wildcats (7-7) rebounded from a 1-0 loss against Concordia last Saturday to win their fifth match in their previous six games overall. Dowling (2-11-1) tied the match in the 55th minute, but couldn't hold on down the stretch.
After a scoreless first half, the floodgates opened for both teams as all four goals came in the last 30 minutes of the match. Wiah put his first goal of the season in the net in the 50th minute, giving the Wildcats a brief 1-0 lead. Wiah took a pass from Tommy Quaranta inside the box in a tight space. The sophomore's first shot was saved by Dowling's goalkeeper Ryan McDonald, but the rebound came right back to Wiah who stuffed it home for the 1-0 lead.
The Golden Lions didn't hang their heads however, retaliating with the game-tying goal less than five minutes later. Putting pressure inside the box, the Lions had three players shielding Wildcats goaltender Chad Jenkins from the ball. Dowling's Geir Olav Helgoey took a shot from the 17-yard mark on the left side, only to have it stolen away right before it reached Jenkins by Shane McLaughlin who was able to slide it home in the open net.
After another dominating performance in the stat sheets, leading the shots on goal 21-6, the Wildcats were looking as if there were headed for another late game drama filled match.
Otis Williams cleared that notion with a gorgeous goal in the 65th minute, taking a long crossing pass just across the midfield line from freshman Lance Berry to the 18-yard box. Williams beat his defender on the left side of the box, dragged the ball back to his right foot and put a shot to the upper right hand corner of the goal from 16 yards out for the go-ahead goal.
Wiah added the clinching goal 13 minutes later, denying any thoughts of a comeback by the visitors. In the 84th minute, Wiah challenged a pass back to the Dowling keeper, getting a foot on McDonald's clearing attempt and tapping it home in the wide open goal for his second of the game and second of the season, capping the scoring in the match.
Jenkins returned to the goal for the first time in five matches, making three saves for his second win of the season. McDonald stopped seven shots for the Golden Lions, falling to 0-2 on the year.
Wilmington will look to carry the momentum back into Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference this week, as the team is currently in 10th place in the standings but only six points from second place with three matches to play. Tuesdays home game with Chestnut Hill begins at 3:30 p.m.
