The fourth-ranked Thomas More College men’s soccer team clinched the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament Wednesday with a 7-1 win over Bethany College in Bethany, West Virginia.
With the win, the Saints improve to 15-1-1 overall and 7-0 in the PAC. Thomas More will host a semifinal match of the PAC tournament next Wednesday at 2 p.m. at BB&T Field in Crestview Hills, against a team to be determined at the conclusion of the regular-season on Sunday.
With the loss, the Bison fall to 5-11-2 overall and 1-5-1 in the PAC.
Thomas More took an early 1-0 lead when senior forward Danny Laird (Greenville, Ind./Floyd Central) scored off an assist from senior forward Austin Juniet (Fort Thomas, Ky./Newport Central Catholic) at the 4:58 mark. Juniet increased the Saints’ lead to 2-0 at the 27:22 mark when he found the back of the net off a cross from junior forward Brian Runyon (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg).
Thomas More extended the lead to 3-0 at the 29:14 mark when Runyon scored unassisted. Junior midfielder R.J. Best (Lorton, Va./South County Secondary) scored unassisted at the 31:52 mark to make the score 4-0. At the 34:21 mark Runyon scored off a Juniet assist to extend the lead to 5-0. The Saints led 6-0 at halftime after sophomore forward Eli Nienaber (LaGrange, Ky./Bishop Brossart) scored unassisted at the 43:29 mark.
The Saints took a 7-0 lead at the 56:21 mark when Juniet scored unassisted at the 56:21 mark. Bethany closed out the scoring at the 63:56 mark when Juan Zapata scored for the final score of 7-1. The game was called at the 71:21 mark because of increasingly bad weather.
Junior goalkeeper Mike Luebbe (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) earned the win in goal as he played all 71:21 and had two saves, while allowing one goal. Thomas More out-shot Bethany, 14-4, including 10-3 on-goal and won the battle of corner kicks, 3-1.
The Saints close out the regular-season on Sunday when they host Washington & Jefferson College at 1:30 p.m. at BB&T Field.
From TMC Athletics