Westmont forward Doug Harrell scored two of Westmont's goals against Wheaton College. The Warriors won 3-0 for their first victory of the season.
Though the Saturday sky was overcast, the Westmont men’s soccer team injected rays of light into its season with a 3-0 victory over the Wheaton (Ill.) Thunder, the Warriors’ first win of the season.
“It’s been a real grind for us here, and regardless of what happened between the white lines, the fact that we won a game means a lot, and you can obviously see it with [the team] right now,” Westmont coach Dave Wolf said. “I don’t know that it’s the time to be too analytical about it —it’s a win, and it’s important for us.”
Senior forward Doug Harrell got things started for the Warriors in spectacular fashion in the 13th minute. On a free kick spotted just a few yards outside the box, Will Bobo tapped the ball to Harrell, who immediately launched it into the upper corner of the fas post, never giving Thunder goalkeeper Ryan Seager a chance.
The entire game was marked by physical play, and in the 16th minute a scuffle broke out. Players from both teams converged, but cooler heads prevailed before further escalation. The contentious play continued, though, with the two teams combining for 41 fouls, 22 of them coming in the first half alone.
Harrell struck again in the 21st minute. The Thunder defense failed to clear the ball on a corner kick by Westmont’s Nana Akyen and Harrell scored on an acrobatic goal off of a header from fellow senior Henry Sarmiento, putting the Warriors up 2-0.
Wheaton opened the second half with a furious offensive charge, getting off six shots in the first 10 minutes. An unusual sequence of events was initiated in the 55th minute when Westmont’s Jordan Correa was fouled in the box. Harrell lined up for the penalty kick but his shot was saved by Yeager.
Less than a minute later, Westmont committed a foul in its box, and Wheaton forward Drew Golz had the chance to pull the Thunder to within one goal. Although Westmont goalkeeper Andrew Singer guessed the wrong way, Golz’s shot hit the far left post.
“We really weathered a storm in the first 10 minutes of the second half,” commented Wolf. “Obviously, things got a little bit crazy there with two penalty kicks. To get through that without conceding [a goal], was pivotal.”
The intensity of the game did not subside until midfielder Daniel Guzman put Wheaton away in the 89th minute. The Thunder defense broke down, and Guzman was given plenty of time to set up and get a clear shot at the goal from 10 yards out.
The history between Westmont and Wheaton soccer runs deep. Wheaton is Wolf’s alma mater, and both he and his wife are members of the Wheaton Athletics Hall of Fame. Additionally, Wolf’s father was a religious studies professor at Wheaton for nearly 40 years.
“There’s a lot of emotion in this game,” Wolf said. “I had an amazing experience at Wheaton, and I’m very, very fond of Coach (Mike) Giuliano. He’s a close friend of mine. I told him before the game I’ll be glad when this is over. I’m glad we can now focus on the start of GSAC play.”
The Warriors next action comes on the road against Hope International next Saturday, October 1. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
Sebastian Kent of Westmont heads the ball to teammates.
