Wheaton, Ill. -- It was opening night delight at Joe Bean Stadium as the Thunder men's soccer team kicked off their 2022 campaign with a victory over nonconference opponent Concordia Chicago, and Steve McCrath (pictured below) began his tenure as Wheaton head coach with the best possible result. In a match that was characterized by gritty play and high energy with occasional stretches of quality from the two sides, goals from Alessandro D'Argento and Harrison Lee either side of halftime proved enough for the hosts to earn the victory. Concordia Chicago quickly grabbed a goal back to set up a competitive ending, but the Thunder defense kept their cool and Wheaton made it one match, one win on the season.

        





The visiting Cougars spoiled the party in last year's Bob Baptista Invitational, snatching a 1-0 road victory over the Thunder in September of 2021. Even with a different head coach leading the team and a number of new players on this season's roster, the memory of that loss, a game which was largely controlled by Wheaton, will no doubt have been fresh on the minds of Wheaton's returners as they looked to avoid the same scenario this time around. A cagey start to the contest saw no shots registered for either side in the first 14 minutes of play, as the two teams sized each other up and avoid any risky decisions. D'Argento nearly broke the deadlock on the 25 minute mark, as the junior midfielder saw his shot cleared off the goal line following a scramble in front of the Concordia net. Just three minutes later, the Thunder earned their first goal of the season when freshman Mason Louth laid the ball off for D'Argento, who fizzed a powerful shot near the top of the box into the bottom corner of the net with the help of a friendly deflection from a Cougar defender. The goal was just reward for an opening series that saw the home side control proceedings. Concordia Chicago failed to register a single shot in the first half, and freshman goalkeeper Jack Krahel was barely troubled in the opening 45 minutes of his first collegiate start.

The second half began in similar fashion with scrappy play from both sides as Wheaton looked to maintain their advantage and Concordia tried to find a way in behind the vigilant Thunder back line. Ten minutes into the second period, Wheaton lofted a long pass over the top for Harrison Lee to chase. What appeared to be a straightforward clearance for Concordia's out-rushing goalkeeper was misplayed into the path of Lee, who continued running and gathered the ball on the left side of the box. The junior then intelligently fooled the recovering Concordia defenders by setting himself to square the ball back to one of his teammates rushing into the box before instead slipping the ball into the net himself from a tight angle. Lee's cool head provided the Thunder with a cushion and appeared to set the hosts on their way to a smooth opening night win. But the visitors had other ideas. Just four minutes later, a turnover in Wheaton's midfield allowed Concordia to pounce on the ball in a dangerous area, and a quick pass up to their striker gave him enough time to slip his shot past the goalkeeper as he was closing in. Scoring with their first shot of the match, the Cougars were suddenly back in the contest despite being out-muscled for most of the night.

The last 30 minutes had a decidedly more frantic feel, as both sides sought the all-important next goal. Brock Seneff and Kyle Schauer had the two best chances to extend the lead for the Thunder, but both were denied by excellent saves from Concordia's keeper, who was determined to atone for his earlier error. Concordia registered four more shots in the closing stages, but none of them were close enough to truly threaten Krahel and a Wheaton defense that was largely rock solid in their first outing as a unit. It ended up being a hard-fought and narrow win, but the end result was deserved as Wheaton were the team in the ascendency on Thursday night. 

The Thunder posted sizable advantages in both shots and possession in tonight's contest, generating 14 efforts to Concordia's five with a 62-38% tilt on the ball. The Cougars goalkeeper was forced into making five saves, while Krahel only needed to make one in his Wheaton debut. A physical contest saw the two teams whistled for a total of 22 fouls, with Concordia receiving two yellow cards from the official. Wheaton also earned four more corner kicks than their guests, as their pressure in the attacking third led to more chances on goal, particularly in the second half of Thursday's contest.

Wheaton don't have long to recover after tonight's win. The Thunder face a tough nonconference road trip to University of Chicago in just 48 hours' time. The Maroons were ranked fourth in the nationwide United Soccer Coaches preseason poll and will be looking to make up for their upset defeat at the hands of the Thunder at Joe Bean Stadium in September of last year.