BRISTOL, R.I. – The Wentworth Institute of Technology men's soccer team kept its postseason hopes alive as the Leopards held on to edge Roger Williams, 1-0, in Commonwealth Coast Conference action Friday night.
With the win the Leopards snap a seven-game losing streak and improve to 6-10-1 overall and 2-5 in league play while the Hawks, who entered the game ranked third in the first set of NCAA Division III New England Regional Rankings and seventh in the United Soccer Coaches Division III New England Poll, fall to 14-3-0 (4-3-0).
The two teams traded shots on goal early in the contest, however, it was the hosts who would eventually carry play, setting up numerous scoring opportunities. Junior Philip Chomicki (Dorchester, Mass.) came up with three of his six first-half saves in a nine-minute stretch, including two in a span of 12 seconds.
Wentworth made the most of its chances and, in the 32nd minute, it produced the game's only goal. After the leopards had carried the ball in, an attempt by Roger Williams to clear the ball went out of bounds. Freshman Erik Treble (Massapequa Park, N.Y.) took the throw-in, which he sent towards the center of the box. Freshman Jomar Martins (Braintree, Mass.) flicked a header towards senior Noah Martins (Dartmouth, Mass.), who one-timed a shot past junior Edmund Geschickter (Brookline, Mass.). For Noah Martins it was his second marker in as many games and his team-leading sixth goal on the season.
The Hawks put a pair of shots on net before the first half ended, however, Chomicki came up with two saves, including one with two and a half minutes remaining to keep the Black & Gold ahead.
Roger Williams peppered Wentworth with 19 shots in the second half, however just four went on target. The hosts had a golden opportunity to tie the game in the 65th minute but a shot from junior Garrett Bolton (Candia, N.H.) hit the crossbar. The Hawks also had a pair of corner kicks in the 76th minute which yielded one shot that went wide of the net. In the 83rd minute, sophomore Jordan Lach (Norton, Mass.) had his game-tying attempt saved by Chomicki and the Wentworth defense prevented another shot attempt for the remainder of the contest.
Chomicki finished with 10 saves; his second straight contest of making 10 or more stops. Geschickter made one save on the night. Roger Williams had advantages in shots (27-5) and corner kicks (9-1).
Wentworth concludes the regular season on Tuesday night at the University of New England.
For the latest on Wentworth Athletics, follow the Leopards via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Wentworth Leopards "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.
