Will Stone Ties Program Mark with Eight Points as Men’s Soccer Claims CACC Regular Season Title at Goldey-Beacom

Copyright 2018; Wilmington University. All rights reserved. Photo of Will Stone following one of his three goals on Tuesday. Photo by Keara McCarthy. October 23, 2018 at Goldey-Beacom.
Copyright 2018; Wilmington University. All rights reserved. Photo of Will Stone following one of his three goals on Tuesday. Photo by Keara McCarthy. October 23, 2018 at Goldey-Beacom.

WILMINGTON, Del. - - A fifth straight win to close out the regular season would give the Wilmington University men's soccer team the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Regular Season Championship, and senior Will Stone made sure that happened by defeating Goldey-Beacom, 5-0, on Tuesday at Nancy Churchman Sawin Field.

The win gives the Wildcats (12-1-4, 9-1-2 CACC) 29 points in the conference and clinches the No. 1 seed in the upcoming CACC Tournament next week. They will host the No. 8 seed on Tuesday afternoon at the WU Athletics Complex at 2:00 p.m. It is the first CACC Regular Season Championship since the 2015 season and third overall.

But Tuesday was all about Will Stone, as he recorded his first hat trick as a Wildcats while adding two assists to tie the program record with eight points in a single game. He ties teammate Lorne Bickley's mark of eight points, setting the mark with four goals against Felician on September 10, 2017.

Sam Jester started the scoring for the Wildcats in the 11th minute, finishing off a through ball into the box from Stone for his sixth goal of the year.

Stone then took things into his own hands with the ball, launching a left-footed shot form outside the 18 into the top right corner in the 13th minute for his ninth goal of the year.

The senior was at it again in the 24th minute, getting a great feed from Tom Garratt in the box, using a low shot form 15 yards to put the Wildcats up 3-0 23:54 into the match.

The Wildcats outshot the Lightning (4-11-2, 3-6-2 CACC), 7-4, in the first half.

The second half started just as quickly for the Wildcats as Garratt and Stone set up Fredrik Bentdal in the box for a close range shot in the 55th minute for the 4-0 lead.

Stone then finished off the Lightning with his third goal and seventh and eighth points of the game in the 60th minute. Tom Garratt's set piece from near midfield was redirected by Sam Jester into the box, and Will Stone's second touch was a shot into the right side netting for the 5-0 lead.

Vinny Tasca needed to only make one save for his sixth shutout of the season. The Wildcats outshot the Lightning, 12-8, for the match.