COLLEGE MEN'S
SOCCER FINAL SCORE
Wesleyan 2, Tufts 0
At Middletown, CT
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Game
Box Score
MIDDLETOWN, Conn. -- Behind four saves from freshman keeper Adam
Purdy, Wesleyan University (3-0-2, 2-0-1 NESCAC), ranked seventh in
New England, earned a 2-0 victory over Tufts University (0-4-1,
0-3-0 NESCAC) in a physical men's soccer contest Saturday
afternoon.
Tufts out-shot Wesleyan 5-1 in the opening frame, but Wesleyan
took a 1-0 halftime lead thanks to senior Asante Brooks. Brooks
took a pass in traffic along the left side of the box and fired the
ball into the lower-right corner of the net at the 12:21 mark. The
goal was Brooks' first of the season and increased his point total
to four, making him the team's second-leading scorer.
Purdy made three saves in the first half to preserve Wesleyan's
edge. Tufts' best chance came early in the period when Purdy
snatched a crossing pass, but mishandled the ball, giving Tufts a
shot at an open net. Wesleyan sophomore defender Harrison Lewin
rushed in and cleared the ball out of bounds to avert the
threat.
Wesleyan expanded its lead to 2-0 in the second half when senior
and leading scorer Nick Whipple took a pass from freshman Walter
Rodriguez along the left side of the box and fired it into the
right side of the net at 52:33. Whipple had shot the ball wide just
eleven seconds earlier. Rodriguez earned his first career point
with the assist.
Wesleyan held a 7-3 edge in shots overall in the second half,
but Tufts senior goalkeeper Pat Tonelli (Andover,
MA) made two saves to limit the damage. Wesleyan also took
three corner kicks in the game to Tufts' two.
Purdy recorded his second straight shutout and third of the
season with the win while lowering his goals-against average to
0.25. Two of Wesleyan's last three wins against Tufts have come by
shutout, including a 2007 victory in Middletown by the same
score.
Both teams will be back in action Tuesday as Wesleyan travels to
Wheaton College, ranked fourth in New England, while Tufts hosts
Suffolk University under the light at Bello Field beginning at 7:00
pm.
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