WILMINGTON, Del. - Hoping to gain some late season momentum, the Lightning men's soccer team will return home on Saturday afternoon to face Caldwell College in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference match at Nancy Churchman-Sawin Field on the Goldey-Beacom College campus.
The Homecoming match-up between the Lightning and the Cougars will begin at approximately 2 p.m. and will be the second game of a soccer doubleheader as the Lightning women's soccer team will face Caldwell at 12 p.m.
Now 3-9-0 overall and 1-7-0 in the CACC, the Lightning snapped a 27-match conference losing streak on Wednesday afternoon with a 2-1 victory at Holy Family. The Lightning snapped a four-match losing streak and scored multiple goals for the first time since a 4-0 victory over Washington Adventist on Sept. 25 at the Kirkwood Soccer Complex.
Senior forward
Matt Bik (Sacred Heart H.S./Vineland, N.J.) led the Lightning to the victory on Wednesday by scoring a goal with an assist while junior forward
Thatcher Howell (Salesianum H.S./Wilmington, Del.) scored the eventual game-winning goal in the 57th minute to give GBC a 2-0 advantage.
Howell is the Lightning's leading scorer with two goals and two assists while junior midfielder
Andre Jank (Campo Grande, Brazil) has added two goals. Meanwhile, senior goalkeeper
Ignacio Farias (Maracay, Venezuela) has stopped 66.3 per cent of the shots he has faced while recording a 3.07 goals against average.
Currently 4-6-1 overall and 3-3-0 in the CACC, the Cougars have lost back-to-back matches after suffering a 2-1 setback at Post University on Wednesday afternoon. Prior to the current losing skid, the Cougars had won four consecutive matches while outscoring their opponents by a 9-4 margin.
Senior forward
Facundo Zalazar (Buenos Aires City, Argentina) scored the Cougars' lone goal in the closing seconds of the first half when he converted a penalty kick for his team-leading sixth marker of the year. Meanwhile, freshman goalkeeper
Michael Hartmann (Shawnee H.S./Medford, N.J.) made four saves as the Cougars were outshot by a 14-11 margin.
While Zalazar leads the Cougars with 15 points, including a team-high three assists, sophomore forward
Dylan Ross (St. Peter's H.S./Staten Island, N.Y.) has added three goals with three assists. Hartmann has started eight matches for the Cougars and has a 1.81 goals against average and a .717 save percentage.
The Lightning will be looking to avenge last year's 5-2 loss against the Cougars at the Caldwell Soccer Field. Howell and Jank each scored a goal for the Lightning while Farias made four saves.
After Saturday's match, the Lightning will complete its home schedule on Wednesday, Oct. 17 by hosting Washington College in a non-conference match at the Kirkwood Soccer Complex at 4 p.m.
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