The men’s soccer team stepped onto the field for their final game of the season in the afternoon of October 29. In the last North Atlantic Conference game, the Hornets faced off against the University of Maine – Farmington Beavers at 12:00 PM. Unfortunately, Lyndon received its final loss with an end score of 3-0 in favor of Farmington.
A slight drizzle before the game dampened the field, forcing athletes on both teams to be careful with their passes and footing. With players slipping and sliding in many directions, it was a difficult game for anyone to play.
However, despite this unforeseen obstacle, both teams played their hardest. The ball remained in full play in the middle of the field for a good part of the first half. Both the Lyndon and Farmington defensive players refused to let the ball close to their goal.
It was Beaver Jon Randolph (17) that broke this pattern with some of his teammates. After firing shot after shot at Lyndon goalie Caleb Derbyshire (88), Randolph picked up a deflected ball and nailed it into the net past the Hornet after he dove for another shot. This happened thirteen minutes into the game.
Lyndon was able to retaliate with their own shots on goal, pushing the ball to the other end of the field. However, the Hornets recognized that whenever they reached the backline of Beavers, the ball would particularly find one player, (23). Lyndon was quick to adapt and prevent more balls from reaching this pivotal player.
This stunned the Beavers for another twenty minutes before they were able to score another goal. Nick Marshall (6) followed Randolph’s strategy, and after Derbyshire dove and deflected one shot, received the ball snuck past Lyndon defenders.
Lyndon was pumped to avenge their goalie and fought harder for the last minutes of the first half. The ball spent most of the rest of the half in Farmington’s defensive area, and though it came close, never made it into the goal.
Farmington increased their lead on Lyndon in the second half as Beaver Jimmy Pelletier (5) scored after twenty minutes of back and forth. However, his goal was the lone goal of the half as Lyndon rallied defensively. Derbyshire saved five balls from entering the net while the Hornets on the field prevented eighteen other shots on goal.
The NVU-Lyndon men’s soccer team ends their season with a 1-14-1 record, landing themselves in ninth place in the North Atlantic Conference standings. The Hornets hope to return sixteen team members next year with some freshman additions. We look forward to the 2020 soccer season!
Featured Photo: NVU-Lyndon junior Jeremiah Heyliger (21) dribbles around a University of Maine – Farmington defender. || Photo by Alexandra Huff