Lorne Bickley Ties Program Mark with Four Goals as Five Players Score in 8-1 CACC Victory over Felician

Wilmington University’s player Lorne Bickley (9) controls the ball as Felician College players Dean Wright (13) and Jorge Zerna (7) follow the play during the Men’s NCAA division II soccer match at the Wilmington University sports complex, Saturday September 21, 2019. Photo by Keyana Ringgold
Wilmington University’s player Lorne Bickley (9) controls the ball as Felician College players Dean Wright (13) and Jorge Zerna (7) follow the play during the Men’s NCAA division II soccer match at the Wilmington University sports complex, Saturday September 21, 2019. Photo by Keyana Ringgold

NEWARK, Del. - - Redshirt junior Lorne Bickley tied his own program record on Saturday, scoring four goals in leading the 17th ranked Wilmington University men's soccer team to an 8-1 victory over Felician in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference opener at the WU Athletics Complex.

It was deja vu for the redshirt junior, as he scored the first two goals of the game, as well as goals five and sixth early in the second half on Saturday. He tied his own program mark of four goals in a game from almost exactly two years ago against the same opponent, scoring four goals against Felician (1-4, 0-1 CACC) on September 10, 2017 at the WU Athletics Complex.

Remarkably, Saturday's first goal was not the fastest of the season for Bickley, as he got the Wildcats (6-0, 1-0 CACC) on the board just 2:25 into the contest against the Golden Falcons. He scored the game's opening goal in just 2:12 against No. 1 West Chester earlier this year. He's also scored at the 5:03 mark in the season opener against Millersville, leading to his first hat trick of the year.

The first goal of Saturday's game came from a low cross by Shawn Genus form the right side. Bickley finished the ball to the near post from about 12 yards out. Bickley quickly made it a 2-0 lead with another goal in the 13th minute, this time finishing off a free kick from Fredrik Bentdal with a header to the near post.

Felician cut the Wildcat lead in half with a goal in the 33rd minute, and even had early chances in the game but couldn't convert. Bickley's first goal was the Wildcat's first shot of the game, and swung the momentum.

Shawn Genus then send the Wildcats into the half with a 3-1 lead, scoring his second goal of the season in the 38th minute. Hakim Williams kept the ball in on the right endline and found Genus in the middle of the box for a left footed shot form 10-yards out.

It was all Wilmington out of the break, as Abdul Mansaray got in the scoring column in the 53rd minute. Genus sprung Mansaray free down the left side, and Mansaray went far post off the keeper's hands and into the side netting for the 4-1 lead.

Only 22 second later, Bickley converted his hat trick with a sliding shot in the middle of the penalty box on a nice feed from Mansaray. Bickley's day was down in the 56th minute, as he completed a give-and-go with Ben Jordan, blasting his longest shot of the afternoon for his fourth goal. His shot from at the top of the 18-yard box hit side netting for the 6-1 lead.

Mamadou Diombera scored his second goal in as many games in the 81st minute, receiving a pass from Dimitrios Anastasiou and clanking it off the post and in to make the score 7-1. Marius Skattum Dahl had a nice touch behind himself to set up the right foot, blasting one over the goalkeeper from 22 yards out for his first collegiate goal in the 89th minute. Vegard Pernes picked up his first career assist on the play as well.

Gabriel Prgomet made three saves in the game, including one diving to his left in the second half, for the win. He gave way to Jackson Brandwene for the final 19 minutes. The defense also cleared a header off the line in the second half.

The Wildcats have outscored the Golden-Falcons 36-6 in the last five meetings, including a 27-3 mark in the last three meetings at the WU Athletics Complex.

The Wildcats continue with CACC play this week, as they head to Georgian Court for a midweek contest. They travel to Lakewood, N.J., on Tuesday afternoon, with the opening kick scheduled for 3:30 p.m.