LAFAYETTE HILL, Pa. - - The Wilmington University men's soccer team picked up its first victory of the 2024 season while opening Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference play on Wednesday night, coming back to defeat Chestnut Hill, 3-1, at Victory Field #1.

The game was tied 1-1 at the halftime break but then the Griffins (0-2-2, 0-1 CACC) played all but seven minutes of the second half down a man due to a red card. A penalty kick goal gave the Wildcats (1-3-1, 1-0 CACC) the lead in the 72^nd minute before an own goal gave the Wildcats a 3-1 cushion.

Chestnut Hill got on the board in the 13^th minute, as a ricochetted ball in the bounce found a Griffin and squirted past Charlie Phillips for the 1-0 lead.

Diego Ramirez played Michiharu Takanashi into the right corner in the 21^st minute. He cut it back to the top of 18-yard box and Patrick Keys played it centrally. Carrick Stewart's touch pass led Theo Faillon to the six-yard box, and Faillon found the back of the net for his fourth goal of the year to tie the game, 1-1, in the 22^nd minute.

The Wildcats went on to outshoot the Griffins, 11-7, in the first half but Griffin netminder Rodrigo Artiga made nine stops as the teams went into the break knotted at 1-1.

A hard tackle after losing the ball resulted in red card against the Griffins in the 52^nd minute, as the Wildcats went a man-up for a majority of the second half. But they couldn't capitalize until the 72^nd minute, getting a chance from the spot after Diego Ramirez was pulled down in the box.

Theo Faillon stepped up and buried his second PK of the year for his second goal of the night and fifth of the year, giving the Wildcats a 2-1 lead as 71:27 has elapsed.

Continuing to hold advantage, the Wildcats tacked on another in the 81^st minute, as Niklas Kleinert stepped forward and played a ball over the top and into the box. A Griffin was first to it, but his header went up in the air and over the goalkeeper and into the back of the net for an own goal.

The Wildcats outshot the Griffins, 17-8, including 14-4 in shots on goal. They also led, 6-1, in corners taken. Charlie Phillips made three saves to record the victory.

The Wildcats return home on Saturday as they welcome CACC preseason favorites Post to the WU Athletics Complex. The men will follow the women's game and start at approximately 2:30 p.m.