Wheaton, Ill. -- The Thunder men's soccer team returned to Joe Bean Stadium on Friday night for the last of four-consecutive home fixtures, as Wheaton welcomed Greenville University for another non-conference matchup. The Orange and Blue earned their first home win and first shutout of the season with a professional 3-0 victory this evening. Wheaton's record now stands at 2-4-1 on the year.
Both sides fired off plenty of attempts tonight, but the Thunder were considerably more clinical with their finishing, putting eight of their 17 shots on target compared to the Panthers' two efforts on goal from a total of 14. The squads combined for 15 corner kick opportunities with an 8-7 split in the hosts' favor, and set pieces would prove decisive on Friday, as all three of Wheaton's goals came from dead-ball plays. The Thunder enjoyed a 60-40% possession advantage across the 90 minutes of action.
Luke McGuire tallied his first clean sheet for Wheaton this evening and was only forced to make one save as his side kept a measure of control over the game's flow.
Isaac Lucas led all players with three shots on goal and netted his team-leading fourth strike of the season in the first half.
Ashur Eshw registered a goal and an assist in the win, while
Cooper Falling joined Lucas on four goals for the year with Wheaton's final score of the night.
Luke Vander Kolk directed two efforts on target and was unlucky not to find the back of the net when his quick free kick struck the right post eight minutes into the game.
The Thunder began the contest brightly with Lucas drawing a good save from the Panthers' shot-stopper before Vander Kolk's free kick trickery. Wheaton earned three corners in the first nine minutes but would have to wait until the 36th to open the scoring, while
David Huber and
Noah Luther each came up with important blocks on the defensive end to preserve the shutout in between those points.
The hosts' persistence paid off nine minutes before halftime when a short corner routine led to Luther lofting a cross from the right flank into a crowded penalty area, where the ball dropped in front of Lucas. The striker's first swing was a mishit that bounced off of a nearby defender's leg back into his path. Lucas reacted sharply to nudge the ball over the goal line with his other foot through a defender's legs and under the flailing goalkeeper's dive. (
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The goalscorer and
Jack Kern each put another shot on frame before the halftime whistle, but the Panthers' goalie made several impressive stops to keep his team in the match. The SLIAC visitors nearly caught Wheaton napping at the start of the second frame, but McGuire raced off his line to make a clutch save at the near post that preserved his team's 1-0 advantage. The next 30 minutes was a relatively quiet stretch with only a handful of compelling chances for either side. But Eshw doubled Wheaton's lead with his second goal of the year in the 75th minute thanks to a quality free kick by Luther that set up a perfectly placed header into the bottom right corner. (
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Eshw then turned provider 14 minutes later, as the senior floated a delicious delivery to the back post for Falling to run onto and steer home with a smart first-time finish that sealed the Thunder's uplifting win. (
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After ending its four-game home stand on a high note, Wheaton will head into the Windy City for its next two matches. The Thunder are set to face eighth-ranked UChicago at Stagg Field on Wednesday night before returning to Chicago next Saturday afternoon for their conference-opener at North Park.
