Men's Soccer Falls to Wesley in ECAC Semifinals, 3-2
ERIE, Pa. - Wesley's Matt Nimmerichter scored his third goal of the year off an assist from Nico Scarpato with just 20 seconds remaining to give the Wolverines their first win in three games against Stevenson this season, 3-2 over the Mustangs in the semifinals of the ECAC Division III South Championship Saturday at Gannon University Field.
The win sends seventh-seeded Wesley (12-9) to Sunday's championship game where it will face host and top-seed Penn State-Behrend who advanced to the title game with a 1-0 victory over fourth-seeded Lebanon Valley.
The Wolverines jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the game's first 31 minutes on a penalty kick by Omar De Los Santos in the 13th and an unassisted tally by Luis Rivera in the 31st.
The sixth-seeded Mustangs (12-10-1), who suffered just their second loss in the last 10 games, would get on the board in the 54th minute when junior Tyler King (Parkville/Calvert Hall) scored his fifth goal in the last eight games to pull them within one.
With just over 10 minutes remaining, Stevenson would tie the game at 2-2 when sophomore Kyle Baker (Mitchellville/Bowie) scored his team-leading ninth goal of the year on a pass from freshman Ryan Pierce (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill West) at 79:52.
Baker finished the year with a goal in five of the team's last six games and in all five of the games in which he played. He did not dress against Penn State-Altoona in Wednesday's first round game.
Just like the first two contests, Saturday's game between the two CAC rivals was physical evidenced by 33 fouls and five yellow cards. In three meetings this season, the two teams combined for 77 fouls and 19 yellow cards.
Mustang sophomore Ryan Flannelly (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) made three saves while Wesley's Nick Talarico had six.
Stevenson's 12 wins this season were one shy of the school record set in 2005 and was its first 10-win season since 2006.
