BRIDGEWATER, Va. - The fourth seeded Bridgewater College men's soccer team earned a 1-0 win over No. 5 Virginia Wesleyan in the first round of the ODAC men's soccer championship Saturday evening.  

The Basics 

Score: Bridgewater 1, Virginia Wesleyan 0 

Records: Bridgewater (12-4-2, 6-2-1 ODAC), Virginia Wesleyan (12-5-1, 6-3 ODAC) 

How It Happened 

• Trey Widrick tested the Virginia Wesleyan defense early. Widrick saw VWU keeper Ben Haynes far out the box early and took a shot from midfield 13 seconds into the match.  

• Despite not having a shot attempt in the first half, most of the half took place in Bridgewater's defensive half. The Bridgewater back line of David Bynum, Leyden Mongold, Matthew Brand-Jimenez, and Noa Denno locked down the box and cleared passes headed towards VWU attackers. 

• Bridgewater mustered a few shot attempts in the first half. Widrick and Queen both put shots on target but were unable to get the Eagles on the board. Cole Dunbar also ripped a shot in the final minute of the first half, but it sailed high. 

• In the 53rd minute, Bridgewater nearly scored the first goal of the match. Riley Queen sent a shot at the goal, but it was stopped by Haynes. The VWU keeper could not get a hold of the ball, leaving the goal open for a scoring chance. Widrick put the ball into the back of the net, but the goal was called off because he was offsides. 

• Virginia Wesleyan came dangerously close to scoring on two separate occasions. In the 56th minute, JaMahre Wills put a ball in the back of the net, but fouled Kowalski in the process, nullifying the goal. In the 68th minute, Zach Bittler had a shot attempt that was blocked by the top woodwork. 

• In the 79th minute, Brand sent a pass into the box looking for Widrick. After being kicked around, the pass found its way to Erick Lobo, who ripped a shot across the goal. The shot ricocheted off the left woodwork and into the goal, giving Bridgewater a 1-0 advantage in the waning minutes.  

• The Marlins had a couple opportunities in the closing minutes, both coming from Mason Wakefield. VWU was unable to capitalize on both attempts. 

Match Notes 

• Bridgewater recorded their 12th win of the season, tying the program record set in 2003. 

• This is Bridgewater's first win over Virginia Wesleyan since 2018, and their first home win over the Marlins since 2017. 

• Erick Lobo's goal in the 79th minute was his first of the season. Lobo has also played an increased role as of late. After not starting in the first ten contests, the sophomore forward has started in five of the last six matches. 

• The Eagles out-shot the Marlins 11-7. The Eagles put six shots on target compared to VWU's three. 

• Zane Kowalski was credited with three saves in the match. 

What's Next? 

The Eagles travel to the Hill City to face top seed Lynchburg in the ODAC semifinals on Wednesday, Nov. 5. The match will be streamed live on FloCollege.