Box Score

DUDLEY, Mass. – First-year Donny Whittle (Ellington, Conn.) scored his sixth goal of the year as classmate Alex Geas (Somers, Conn.) collected his second shutout of the season as Nichols bested visiting Daniel Webster, 1-0, in a non-conference men's soccer match on Wednesday afternoon. Whittle finished the afternoon knotted with senior Scott Coderre (Thompson, Conn.) for the team lead in goals and game winners (three).
 
The Bison kept Daniel Webster freshman goalkeeper Sean Hamilton (Brookline, N.H.) busy as he made a game-best 12 saves including four in the span of 14:08 midway through the first half. Hamilton repelled a shot by Whittle before rookie Tiago Prazeres (West Hartford, Conn.) sent the ball high at 23:39. Coderre looked to beat the keeper from close range but Hamilton made the stop in the 34th minute. Four minutes later, first-year Christian Cole (Gaithersburg, Md.) took a pair of shots as the score remained 0-0. Senior Joey MacElveen (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) launched a rocket that was stymied by the post at 39:13. Nichols took 22 shots and one corner kick in the frame.
 
Daniel Webster junior Erick Bourdeau (Alton Bay, N.H.) had the best chance of the afternoon for the Eagles as he attempted to head in the ball off an indirect kick with 33:01 remaining in the contest. Bourdeau led the visitors with a pair of shots with one on net as the Eagles finished with seven attempts with three on goal. Nichols finally broke the plane at 81:07 as Whittle buried a cross from junior Fred Willard (Webster, Mass.) for what proved to be the decisive marker of the contest. The Bison outshot the Eagles 38-7 and were awarded three of the four corner kicks in the match.
 
Geas turned away a trio of shots in his second clean sheet of the season for the Bison.
 
Both teams return to conference action on Saturday. Nichols (6-4-0) travels to Gordon for a 3:30 p.m. CCC matchup while Daniel Webster (1-6-2) hosts Southern Vermont in a NECC tilt at 1:00 p.m.