The Elizabethtown College men’s soccer team faced its first Landmark Conference opponent of the season on Saturday, Sept. 26, taking on the Wilkes Colonels. The Blue Jays entered the conference opener looking to carry momentum from their recent success into one of the most important stretches of their schedule.
Etown started early with an 11th-minute goal from junior Will Withall, who continues to display strong offensive play after scoring a clutch game-winner in Wednesday’s match against Hood College. Withall found the back of the net to give the Blue Jays a 1-0 advantage and put Wilkes under pressure early on.
The Blue Jays continued to dominate in both possession and scoring opportunities throughout the first half, keeping much of the action on the Colonels’ side of the field. However, Wilkes provided fierce defensive competition and prevented Etown from turning its control of the game into a larger advantage.
Despite gaining the lead early, the Jays would not score again during the first half. Wilkes’ defense managed to withstand the continued pressure, keeping the Colonels within one goal heading into halftime. Etown’s defense responded with an impressive performance of its own, limiting Wilkes’ opportunities and preventing the Colonels from finding an equalizer.
The second half shared a similar story. Despite continuously outshooting Wilkes and controlling possession, Etown struggled to find the finishing touch needed to extend its lead. The Blue Jays continued to generate opportunities while the Colonels remained within striking distance of tying the contest.
In the 83rd minute, sophomore Niko Houck received the ball from freshman Carlos Salazar near the top of the Colonels’ box. Houck capitalized on the opportunity and buried the ball in the net for his first career goal, doubling Etown’s advantage to 2-0. Salazar earned the assist on the play, while Houck’s goal gave the Blue Jays some much-needed breathing room heading into the closing minutes.
Just four minutes later, junior midfielder Caba Alvarez received a long ball from sophomore goalkeeper Logan Sumner. Alvarez quickly beat his defender to the ball before drilling a shot into the net in the 87th minute. The goal gave the Blue Jays a commanding 3-0 advantage and put the contest firmly out of reach.
Sumner’s assist also capped off an impressive performance in goal. The sophomore and the Etown defense kept the Colonels off the scoreboard throughout the match, allowing the Blue Jays’ offense time to eventually capitalize on its opportunities.
After spending much of the game protecting a narrow one-goal advantage, the two late goals transformed a close conference battle into a convincing 3-0 victory.
The win moves the Blue Jays to 5-2-2 overall and 1-0-0 in Landmark Conference play, giving Etown a strong start to its conference schedule.
The Blue Jays will next travel to face the Lebanon Valley College Dutchmen on Sept. 29 as they look to continue their momentum following back-to-back victories.
