MUNSELL KEYS EASTERN M-SOCCER’S WIN OVER WESLEYAN
Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012
WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Senior goalkeeper Jordan Munsell (Waterford) was in the right place at the right time all day Wednesday afternoon, and largely for that reason, the Eastern Connecticut State University men's soccer team snapped a four-game losing streak at the hands of Wesleyan University, 1-0, at Thomas Nevers Field.
In a battle of teams ranked in the top five in New England, fourth-ranked Eastern (11-0-1) remained undefeated despite being outshot by a 26-3 margin -- including 13-0 in the second half – in downing fifth-ranked Wesleyan (7-2-2) in the first meeting between the programs since 2003. The Warriors' last win over Wesleyan prior to Wednesday came in a 2-1 road win in 1999.
A first-year starter, Munsell made five key saves and received plenty of help from a busy defense led by senior Bradley Fletcher (Middletown) and junior Christopher Giustina (Enfield).
Senior forward Matt Furman's (Montville) team-leading ninth goal of the season in the eighth minute –the 34th goal of Furman's career – broke Wesleyan's streak of 501 scoreless minutes and stood up despite the final lopsided (26-3) shot differential. It was only the fourth goal allowed this season by Wesleyan, which had recorded five straight shutouts after a 1-1 overtime tie at Framingham State September 19.
Furman, the Little East Conference leader in points and goals, drove a hard shot from 12 yards under the cross bar on a headed pass from senior forward Cory Tobler (Portland). The play originated with a long serve in the box. In traffic, the ball skimmed off Tobler's head and was redirected to a charging Furman, who blasted the ball past Wesleyan senior keeper Adam Purdy (Montclair, NJ).
Munsell made four of his saves on perfectly-positioned dives at the post, with perhaps the best one coming with 6:32 remaining on a 22-yard free kick off the foot of Wesleyan senior midfielder Chris Kuehn (Franklin Lakes, NJ).
Wesleyan began exerting heavy pressure at about the midway point of the second half, pinning the Warriors in their defensive end for long stretches. Senior midfielder Ian Waldron (Amherst, MA) had several opportunities from in close in the second half, one being deflected wide of the left post and one being smothered by Munsell.
The Cardinals relied upon long serves from freshman left midfielder Brandon Sousa (Waterbury) to create a number of opportunities in the second half. Munsell hustled off his line to punch out Sousa's long free kick with 22 minutes left, and three minutes later, left his feet to snare Sousa's chip at the right post.
With 15 minutes left, Munsell again left his feet to grab senior midfielder Rory O'Neill's (Silver Spring, MD) bid from inside the box, and his stop of Kuehn's free kick with 6:32 left snuffed out the Cardinals' last serious attempt at forcing overtime.
Munsell, who had started only five matches through his first three seasons, lowered his goals-against average to 0.66 and raised his save percentage to .826 with his sixth shutout in 11 starts this season.
Eastern hosts the University of Massachusetts Boston Saturday at 1 p.m. at Nevers Field.
