WEST CHESTER, Pa. - - Brilliant first-half goals from Alex Tarway and Jiung Ha carry the Wilmington University men's soccer team to a 2-0 victory at West Chester on Wednesday afternoon on Rockwell Field.
It is the first time since the 2021 season that the Wildcats (2-0-1) have gone unbeaten in their first three games. They went 16-4-1 and hosted an NCAA Division II Super-Region 1 Second Round contest that year.
Following a foul in the attacking third in the 30th minute, a short restart had the ball back in play quickly. Till Rauch played the ball centrally to Alex Tarway. His first touch spun him free from his defender and then he dodged around another with the ball on his left foot. A quick blast from outside the 18-yard line found the upper corner to the goalkeeper's left, stunning all 22 on the field. It's his second goal of the young season.
Moments later, Ludvig Danielsson turned towards the corner flag to keep possession. He passed back to Ben Cracknell who one-touched it to Jiung Ha into the box on the left side. Ha took a bouncing ball and one-timed it from 16 yards out on an angle and deposited into the far upper corner for a 2-0 lead in the 39th minute.
The Wildcats' Emil Lollike made two saves in the first half while the offense made West Chester netminder Jaden Howard to make four additional saves before the break. Both goalkeepers made five second-half saves.
Each team registered 21 shots in the game, each with eight in the first half and each with 13 in the second half. The Wildcats led in corners, 8-6.
The Wildcats make their home debut with their next contest, welcoming St. Thomas Aquinas to the WU Athletics Complex for the first time ever. The two programs haven't played since the 2007 season. Saturday's game is scheduled for a 4:00 p.m. start in Newark.