Following a win from Northern Vermont University – Lyndon’s women varsity soccer team, the pressure was on this past Homecoming weekend. The men’s soccer team had not won a game yet; their season record stood at 0-6 and their North Atlantic Conference record at 0-1. Their opponents, the University of Maine at Presque Isle, had a season record of 3-4 and a NAC record of 0-1 when they first stepped onto the field.
The game was overflowing with emotions, both teams desperate for the win. The game was very fast paced, as are most games featuring the Hornets. The men on the field were extremely vocal, on both teams, but the Lyndon men had the better communication, winning their first game of the season with a score of 4-3.
The first goal of the game belonged to Lyndon senior Hunter Torrey (3). He shot it off a penalty kick—a one-on-one moment between him and UMPI goalie Caleb Thompson (35) where Torrey was victorious. Torrey saw another goal ten minutes later with an assist from freshman Dawson Stebbins (9). Stebbins had a nice shot on goal that coaxed Thompson to dive after it. Torrey snuck in and nudged the ball past the goalie. Stebbins saw another opportunity with seven minutes remaining in the first half. Once again, he took the shot and succeeded to bring his team to a three-point lead.
Torrey began the second half of the game with another goal in the first five minutes. He took a shot, which was deflected by Thompson, and then immediately took another shot, not giving the UMPI goalie a chance to recover. The Hornets now led with a score of 4-0 against the Owls.
The University of Maine men weren’t happy with the lead and had three very quick goals in the second half. The tensions were high as they started to gain momentum. Both teams became desperate and were taking risky shots. The Hornets were able to unite, though, and prevented another Owl goal before the buzzer sounded. The final score was 4-3, all seven goals products of sweat and tears from every player on the field.
NVU – Lyndon’s men’s soccer team will see more competition this coming Saturday at Maine Maritime Academy for another NAC contest at 6:30. Their next home game will be against sister school Northern Vermont University – Johnson on October 3 at 3:30. We hope to see you there, supporting our athletes!