Bridgewater men’s soccer opens season with 1-0 victory

The Bridgewater College men’s soccer team opened its season Saturday afternoon with a 1-0 victory over DeSales University.

The two teams were locked in a defensive struggle until the Eagles finally broke through in the 85th minute of play. Freshman midfielder Thomas White sent a pass across the box and sophomore Michael Lachniet beat the Bulldogs keeper to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead. It was the first career goal for Lachniet.

The Bridgewater defense was solid in the closing minutes as the Eagles picked up their first victory of the season.

Both teams finished the first half with four shots. DeSales held an 8-4 edge in shots in the final 45 minutes of play. Each team put five shots on goal while the visitors held a big 10-2 edge in corner kicks, six of those coming in the second half.

Senior keeper Mark Davis was solid in goal, finishing the contest with five saves to record the shutout.

Bridgewater faces a quick turnaround as the Eagles return to action Sunday afternoon when they host the Wesley College Wolverines. On Saturday, Wesley and Eastern Mennonite played to a 0-0 tie in two overtimes.Sunday’s game time at the BC Soccer Field is set for 2:00 p.m.