Wheaton men upset Clark

Pablo Mena's 49th minute goal advances Lyons to NEWMAC semifinals

November 6, 2008

WORCESTER, Mass. -- Freshman midfielder Pablo Mena scored his first collegiate goal in the 49th minute to lift sixth-seed Wheaton College men's soccer team to an upset victory over third-seed Clark University in a New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) quarterfinal round game Wednesday night at Granger Field.

Wheaton (10-4-4) will face second-seed MIT at Babson College Saturday (1 p.m.). MIT defeated WPI, 1-0, in Wednesday night’s other quarterfinal round match-up.

Clark, which entered the contest ranked seventh in New England by the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll, slipped to 11-4-2 overall.

The game-winning goal began with a scramble in front of the Clark net. Mena gained possession of the ball and roofed a shot to the top left corner of the net beyond the outstretched hands of Clark keeper Peter Wise (Providence, R.I.) just 3:10 into the second half.

The Cougars had a pair of crafty attempts to tie it up within a span of 1:42, but failed to convert. Sophomore forward Baran Doenmez (Dublin, N.H.) unloaded a shot from the left wing that rolled just wide of the far post in the 60th minute and junior Jeremy Radovsky’s (South San Francisco, Cali.) drive from about 12 yards out glided high over a minute later.

Clark continued to pressure the Lyons for the equalizer late in the half. The home team’s best chance came when freshman Adrian Blackadar (Warwick, R.I.) shot at an open net in the 65th minute. But senior defender Ben Resnicow (Newton, Mass.) slid in and booted the ball away before it could cross the goal line.

Although the two teams ended the first 45 minutes scoreless, Wheaton was solid offensively from the start with two shots and four corner kicks in the first 10 minutes of the game. Doenmez had the best chance of the half for Clark, as he one-timed a throw-in just outside the right post three minutes in.