POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (October 31, 2015) – The Vassar men's soccer team unloaded five goals, including four in the second half as the squad shutout Bard College 5-0 Saturday afternoon on Gordon Field. Despite both teams being out of Liberty League playoff contention, the Brewers got up to play honoring the team's ten seniors for senior day.
The Brewers finish the season 8-6-2 and 4-4 in the Liberty League, securing the program's 18th winning season under head coach Andy Jennings. Bard finishes the regular season 7-9-1 (1-7 LL).
Despite holding a 14-5 advantage in shots in the first half, the Brewers were only able to put one goal on the board, which came on a penalty kick in the 32nd minute. After a Raptor player was carded for an infringement in the box, senior Tom Wiechert (San Clemente, CA/San Clemente) stepped up and buried his third PK of the season. VC pressed until the end of the half, but led only 1-0 at the break.
Vassar nearly went up by two in the 56th minute, after a beautiful cross from senior Jordan Palmer (Woodland Hills, CA/Agoura) found the head of Nick Hess (Troy, NY/Averill Park). The goal was called back for offside, keeping the VC advantage at just one.
The floodgates opened in the 65th minute, after freshman Tyler Gilmore (Coronado, CA/Coronado) found a seam down the middle of the pitch. He dribbled all the way through the Bard defense, and drilled an open shot into the right of the net to give Vassar the elusive second goal.
Just 22 seconds later, sophomore Reid Smith (Greensboro, NC/Greensboro Day School) made it a 3-0 game off a nice cross from fellow sophomore Alex Gonzales (Aliso Viejo, CA/Mater Dei). Gonzales put the game out of reach in the 73rd minute, scoring his second of the year off a ball from sophomore Hayden Van Brewer (Wilbraham, MA/Minnechaug Regional).
Wiechert added some insurance for the Brewers in the 88nd minute, putting away a cross from fellow senior Yaniv Yaffe (Reisterstown, MD/Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community) to give VC the 5-0 win. Senior Sebastien Lasseur (Cornwall, CT/Housatonic Vly Regional) earned a combined shutout in the cage for VC, making six saves to seal the win.
All 10 seniors, which included Nick Page (Brookline, MA/Brookline), Gavin Jennings (Poughkeepsie, NY/Arlington), Cosmo Veneziale (Garden City, NY/Garden City) and Elias Kim (Merrimack, NH/Merrimack), started the game for Vassar after they were honored in a pregame ceremony.
--VASSAR--
