ST. DAVIDS, Pa.– Eastern University Men's Soccer scored early in each half and held of a late push from the visiting Ithaca College Bombers to open the 2024 campaign with a 2-1 win.
Osmond Chan and
Zach Chaplin each scored in the win.
The Eagles (1-0) got on the board in the fifth minute after a good bit of positive play on the right side.
Carson Cope,
Evan Cope, and
Zach Sievert combined to get the ball into the box before an Ithaca defender knocked the ball free. Chan pounced on the loose ball and hammered in a left-footed blast for his third career tally. The goal came on Eastern's first shot of the game.
Both teams finished the choppy first half with six shots, and the Eagles took the 1-0 lead to halftime.
Chan/s ball-winning created the second goal as well. The sophomore midfielder knocked a ball free and won a race for a loose ball. In the process he was knocked from behind for a free kick from the right side. Sievert curled the restart into the attacking space and Chaplin, who played 90 minutes at center back, powered home a header for his first career tally. The senior from North Carolina made good on his opportunity with quality defending and the goal. He and fellow center back
Kade Seip controlled the air through the game and help generate attacks with good passes over range.
"What a journey," Head Coach
Luca Mellor said of Chaplin after the match. "He and Kade were really good. It's great to see how Chappy has grown into this role and exciting to see him get a big goal."
Up two, the Eagles absorbed pressure and generated several really good chances in the counter.
Haroon Husseini,
Marcus Pringle, and
Jared Oglesby all put pressure on the Ithaca back row. Ithaca goalkeeper Johannes Berghahn made a pair of great saves on Husseini and
Carson Cope hit a thirty-yard rocket off the inside of the left upright that somehow stayed out of the goal.
Ty Bleiler had some work to do at the other end as well. The junior goalkeeper turned away several dangerous chances and did well controlling his box. His best save came on a hard shot to the upper corner in the 84th minute. Less than two minutes later, the Bombers broke through with a penalty kick goal of a hand ball in the box.
With Ithaca pouring numbers forward, the Eagles had to fend off more pressure to see out the game. Sievert had a chance in transition, but his shot sailed high and the Eagles continued to defend through the final whistle.
The Eagles are at Neumann next Wednesday.
