Worcester, MA --- Senior Alex Wolfel (Unionville, CT) hit home the game-winning tally in the 60th minute to help pace third-seeded Worcester State to a 2-1 triumph over #6 Mount Ida in the quarterfinal round of the ECAC Division III Men's Soccer Tournament this evening at Coughlin Field.
The Lancers (12-4-4) move on to the semifinals to take on #2 Lasell on Saturday at 2:30 at Springfield College. The Lasers blanked #7 Lesley, 2-0, earlier this afternoon.
The Mustangs, who are making their first-ever appearance in the ECAC Tournament, wrap up their season at 8-8-3 overall.
Mount Ida senior Steve McDonald (Medford, MA) helped get the visitors on the board early on in the 16th minute.
Freshman Elias Mejia (Freehold, NJ) initiated the play on the near side of the midfield when he found an open junior Dishawn Miller (Bristol, CT). Miller then sprinted 15 yards to the left side of the box and dished it to McDonald, who finished to the middle from the left side of the net for his fourth marker of the campaign.
The Mustangs had several more chances to go up by two in the opening frame as they finished with the 7-4 edge, but the back line did not allow many quality chances and sophomore keeper Nick Zucco (Ludlow, MA) scooped up a trio of shots for the Lancers.
Coming out of the locker room to start up the second frame, senior Brendan Whitson (Auburn, MA) potted his MASCAC-leading 13th of the year in the 48th minute to help ignite the second-half comeback.
Junior Derek Kareta (Ludlow, MA) lobbed a ball over the defense from the 50-yardline right to an open Whitson, who put just enough of a touch on the left side of the box for it to roll past the goalie into the open net.
The Blue and Gold continued to stay on the offensive as Wolfel took a strong feed from Whitson on the left corner to finish to the bottom right corner after he fired his 11th tally of the season from the left side of the box
Mount Ida did everything they could do to try to net the equalizer as they held the 5-2 edge in shots over the contests final 20 minutes.
Their best chance was when DiShawn Miller sent a cross in front of the net to freshman Vlasi Duni (Peabody, MA) with four minutes remaining in regulation, but Duni's header was too high and it sailed over the net.
Zucco turned aside five of the six shots he saw between the pipes for WSU while his counterpart, junior Mat Pils (Monroe, CT), made four stops on net. Mount Ida ended with the 15-12 lead in shots (6-6 on goal) while both squads each had one corner kick attempt in the second half.
Top-seeded Springfield hosts #4 Norwich in the other semifinal matchup on Saturday at 12 PM, after the Cadets defeated fifth-seed Colby-Sawyer, 2-0, this evening. The championship is slated for a noontime start on Sunday between the two victors of the second round.
WSU is now 2-2 all-time in the ECAC Division III New England Tournament as they make their second-ever appearance in the semifinals. They were ousted during their 2007 run by eventual champion Norwich, 1-0.
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