West Chester at Wilmington
Game Details: 4 p.m. I Wednesday, September 11
Location: WILMU Athletics Complex (Wilmington, Del.)
Game Links: Live Stats I Watch
Series: Wilmington leads 8-5-4
West Chester Links: News I Roster I Schedule I Stats
Wilmington Links: News I Roster I Schedule I Stats
Last Time Out
West Chester opened its season with a 1-1 draw vs Jefferson, which saw Maksym Komperda (Whitehall, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) score the first goal of the new season just before halftime before the Rams countered just over 10 minutes into the second half to even the score at 1-1. Following this, the Golden Rams shifted their attention quickly to Holy Family as the squad was faced with the prospect of playing two games in three days. Seemingly unfazed by the scheduling phenomenon, which normally only occurs in the postseason, West Chester started quickly, scoring the first of its five goals just nine minutes in as Peter Tichy (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) got the Golden Rams on the scoreboard. Owen Slack (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) scored a pair of goals as well, while Komperda and Jack O’Brien (Mays Landing, N.J./Oakcrest) also scored. O’Brien’s goal in the 82nd minute was the first of his Golden Ram career and came off an assist from fellow first-year Alex Fedor (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East) as he also recorded his first collegiate point. Jaden Howard (Townsend, Del./Middletown) got the start in goal and made three saves to earn his first victory and shutout.
We Are Honored
Komperda became the first West Chester student-athlete to earn PSAC East Athlete of the Week honors this year after scoring a goal in both games a week ago for the Golden Rams.
This is Different
For the first time since 2019 when Daniel Good (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) took over as the Golden Rams starting keeper, a keeper not named Good will lead the Golden Rams through the 2024 season. Alexi Amanatidis (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./The Shipley School) got the opening day start vs Jefferson and made one save, while also allowing one goal in a 1-1 draw vs the Rams while fellow sophomore Jaden Howard (Townsend, Del./Middletown) got the start on Saturday and made three saves in a shutout victory at Holy Family.
Starting Strong
With the draw vs Jefferson, head coach Michael Benn moved to 5-3-3 in season openers, including a record of 5-1-2 in such games since 2016.
Oh Captain, My Captain
West Chester is being led by three captains this year as Phil Udo-Inyang (Havertown, Pa./Haverford), Cooper Jackson (Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson), and Tommy Bodenschatz (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) lead the 2024 edition of the Golden Rams.
Series History
After opening the series on a four-game winning streak, West Chester has fallen upon hard times vs the Wildcats, winning just one meeting between the two sides since 2010. West Chester has played to a draw vs Wilmington four times in the last six meetings, including a 1-1 draw a year ago on a scorchingly hot September afternoon on Rockwell Field.
Scouting Wilmington
Wilmington enters play in search of its first victory of the year after going 0-1-1 in two games against NE-10 foes a week ago in Adelphi and American International. Wednesday’s game concludes a three-game homestand to open the season for the Wildcats as they kicked off their season with a 2-1 loss to Adelphi last Thursday before battling to a 3-3 draw vs American International on Saturday afternoon.
On Saturday vs AIC, Wilmington found itself trailing by a goal just over a minute in but erased this deficit moments later Jhamaleek Porter scored his first goal of the season. Tied at the half, Theo Faillon broke the tie in the 54th minute off an assist from Michiharu Takanashi, which held up until the 72nd when AIC evened the score at 2-2. Wilmington broke through once more in the 81st when Takanashi scored his first goal of the season to make it 3-2 but AIC had one goal left in it, breaking through in the 88th to post a 3-3 draw vs Wilmington. Charlie Phillips got the starting nod in goal for Wilmington once again on Saturday and made just one save on four shots in the draw.
Well balanced offensively, four different Wildcats have scored this season as Lenny Greifenberg scored the lone goal in the Wildcats first game of the year, while Failllon, Porter, and Takanashi handled the scoring on Saturday. Charlie Phillips has been between the pipes throughout each of the first two games of the year, playing to a mark of 0-1-1 entering the third game of the season.
