Play Against Top CACC Teams Earns Griffin Keeper Defensive and Rookie Awards
New Haven, Conn. – (10/1/2013) – With a shutout of #12 Post University already under his belt, goalkeeper
James Jackson (Sewell, N.J.) continued to develop an impressive freshman resume with last week’s shutout victories over #13 Wilmington University, 3-0, and the defending Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Champions, Dominican College, 2-0. For his effort, Jackson doubled-up on awards, earning recognition as the CACC Defensive Player of the Week and Co-Rookie of the Week.
After getting a feeling for their opponent, Chestnut Hill College (4-3-2, 3-1-1) capitalized on a Wilmington University offside with a useful restart down the right side of the field. The ball eventually worked its way to the feet of senior forward
Mushe Wamulume (Media, Pa.), who touched it to the head of junior forward
Juan Amaya (Cartagena, Colombia) for a 1-0 Griffin lead at 38:09. The Wildcats would record the last two shots of the first half, but one found Jackson and the other sailed high. The visitors continued to press in the second half, firing off seven shots of the period before a brief stanza resulted in a rebound goal. Off a Wildcat foul, an initial strike from sophomore midfielder
Dominic Pernice (Rehoboth Beach, Del.) took the goalkeeper out of position and opened the goal for freshman forward
Charles O'Connell (Secaucus, N.J.) at 71:31, 2-0. Just less than seven minutes later, O’Connell did it again, scoring a deflected serve at 78:29, 3-0. Jackson made eight saves in the shutout victory.
On Saturday, September 28, the Griffins attacked the Dominican College goal off the kickoff. Amaya lead the initial assaults, but the Griffins eventually shifted their focus through O'Connell, before freshman defenseman
Nils Fussen (Aachen, Germany) headed a restart serve from sophomore defender
Tristan Johns (Marmora, N.J.) to goal at 40:09, 1-0. After halftime, play evened out but the Griffins only extended their advantage with a second goal at 74:33, when Amaya chased down a long serve and touched the goal-kick destined ball to the scoring foot of Wamulume, 2-0. Scrambling to get back into the affair, the Chargers fired several shots, but they had no real chance to score as Jackson made five saves and combined with the Griffin defense to earn their fourth shutout of the season.
The men’s soccer team returns to their CACC schedule but brings their four-game home stand to a close on Saturday, October 5, when they host Caldwell College in an 11:00 a.m. contest.
