Four Second Half Goals Carry Wilmington Men’s Soccer Past Holy Family, 5-0

Four Second Half Goals Carry Wilmington Men’s Soccer Past Holy Family, 5-0

Copyright 2016; Wilmington University. All rights reserved. Photo of Bickley's first goal of the game taken by Megan Teat.

NEWARK, Del. - - With the visiting backfield beginning to push forward in the second half, the Wilmington University men's soccer team took full advantage and scored four times, leading to a 5-0 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference victory over Holy Family on Tuesday afternoon at the WU Athletics Complex.

The Wildcats (6-1, 3-1 CACC) out shot the Tigers (1-6-2, 0-3-2 CACC) 9-1 in each half, but only carried a 1-0 advantage into the halftime break. With the Tigers looking to even the match, the Wildcats broke through with four goals in the second half to run away with the victory.

Freshman Lorne Bickley put the pressure on the Tigers early in the first half, but his initial shot just 18 seconds into the contest went wide before his second chance at the 1:33 mark was saved. He also produced the team's third straight shot to start the match, but his effort at the 8:25 mark was wide once more. He would earn his keep in the second half, however.

With the Wildcats continuing to keep the pressure on the Tigers all half, it wasn't until the 38th minute when the breakthrough happened. Sam Jester made a run into the box on the left side. He was stripped of the ball on the endline, but Alex Luke came racing over to keep possession. Luke was then fouled in the penalty box to give the Wildcats their first penalty kick of the season.

Senior defender Geoff Velasquez stepped up and buried the penalty kick for his first goal since the NCAA Division II East Regional Tournament in his freshman season. The Wildcats went into the break with a 1-0 lead.

The Tigers' back line was pressing forward, causing a pair of offsides to begin the second half. But the Wildcats figured out the timing and scored again in the 56th minute. Jamie Burridge one-timed a ball down from the middle to the right side to a charging Bickley. Bickley got into the box and found a wide open Deron Joe on the back post for his second goal of the season.

Bickley wasn't done, however, as he got in on the scoring in the 74th minute. A misplay on the Holy Family backline at midfield sprung Bickley loose in on the keeper from 40 yards out. Bickley's low shot found the back of the net for his sixth of the season.

Not even 50 seconds later, Bickley found himself in on the keeper once again, this time getting a long ball from the defensive third and over the top from Dimitris Topouzlis. Bickley scored his second goal in a matter of 48 seconds to put the Wildcats ahead, 4-0. He now leads the CACC with seven goals scored.

Jester capped the scoring for the Wildcats in the 83rd minute, as a switch of the field from Velasquez sprung Nahshon Little free down the left side. Little got to the endline in the box before finding Jester open in front for the easy one-time goal.

Vinny Tasca made one stop in the first half before giving way to Kenny Caballero for the second half and his first action as a Wildcat. Caballero was not called upon to make a save in the second half.

The Wildcats head out of conference for their next two games, but remain playing in front of the home crowd. The Wildcats will welcome LIU Post to the WU Athletics Complex on Saturday. The Pioneers knocked the Wildcats out of the NCAA Division II East Regional Tournament a season ago. The opening whistle is slated for 2:30 p.m.