HARRISONBURG, Va. (Sept. 4, 2010) – Freshman
Thomas McWilliams (Mermaid Waters, Australia/Palm Beach Currumbin) (Mermaid Waters, Australia / Palm Beach Currumbin) had an impressive collegiate debut to help lead the Saint Francis men's soccer team to an impressive 3-0 victory over High Point on Saturday afternoon at the JMU/Comfort Inn Harrisonburg Invitational Tournament.
Sophomore
Wayne Tiller (Magnolia, Del./Caesar Rodney) (Magnolia, Del. / Caesar Rodney) had his second goal in as many games, and senior co-captain
Patrick Fleming (Dunedin, New Zealand/Bayfield) (Dunedin, New Zealand / Bayfield) picked up his first two scores of the season for the Red Flash. Sophomore
Seamus Ryder (Dunedin, New Zealand / Otago Boys) assisted on Tiller's goal, and senior
Owen Gombami (Pumula North Bulawayo, Simbabwe/Mzilikazi) (Pumula North Bulawayo, Zimbabwe / Mzilikazi) assisted on Fleming's second goal, for their first career helpers in an SFU uniform.
McWilliams had 10 saves to help Saint Francis wins its first two games of a season for the first time since 1994. It marks just the third time in program history that the Red Flash have been 2-0 to start a season.
“We worked hard to get a shutout,” said Saint Francis head coach
Michael Casper. “High Point is a good team, but we stuck together and defended well. Wayne scored a great goal that gave us confidence, and then we were in control from then on. It was a great result and we will enjoy it, but we have to keep working and improving to get ready for James Madison.”
Saint Francis will try to improve to 3-0 for the first time in school history when it meets tournament-host James Madison at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. The Red Flash are 0-7-1 all-time against the Dukes.
Ryder fed a ball into the box for Tiller, who fired from six yards out into the left corner, to put Saint Francis on the board at 51 minutes, 2 seconds. After a handball in the 18-yard box awarded the Red Flash a penalty kick, Fleming took advantage by putting SFU up 2-0 at 64:31. Fleming would then put the game out of reach with his second goal from eight yards out at 73:04.
High Point held advantages of 21-11 in shots, 8-3 in corner kicks and 13-9 in fouls, while SFU held a 10-1 edge in saves. Each team was whistled twice for offsides.
For periodic men's soccer updates and other Red Flash news, follow Director of Athletic Communications Bob Volkert on Twitter at SFUVolkert.
Game Notes: SFU has outscored opponents (Duquesne and High Point) 5-0 through two games; all five goals have been scored in the second half for the Red Flash; Saint Francis has shutouts through the first two games of a season for the first time in program history; With two goals in SFU's first two games,
Wayne Tiller (Magnolia, Del./Caesar Rodney) matches his total from all of 2009; With two goals against High Point, Fleming snapped a 14-game goal-less streak (dating back to last year) and exceeded his total of one goal in 2009. He has six points (2g, 2a) through two games, giving him one more point than he had in 2009; It took Saint Francis six games to score five goals in 2009. The Red Flash have five goals in two games this season.
