LEXINGTON, KY — Transylvania men's soccer erupted for five first-half goals Wednesday night at Pat Deacon Stadium to earn a commanding 6-0 victory over Mount St. Joseph University in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference action. The Pioneers improved to 9-2-3 overall and 6-0-1 in conference play, while Mount St. Joseph fell to 4-6-5 overall and 0-4-3 in the HCAC.
Transylvania wasted little time establishing its offensive presence, opening the scoring in the seventh minute when Stone Work found the back of the net off assists from Cole Varela and Gus Dickman to give the Pioneers a 1-0 advantage. Less than six minutes later, Dickman doubled the lead in the 12th minute off assists from Joany Chavez and Work to extend the advantage to 2-0.
The Pioneers continued to apply pressure throughout the opening half. McKay Wheatley registered consecutive shots on goal in the 22nd and 23rd minutes before Varela found the back of the net in the 27th minute off assists from Nick Haskins and Work, pushing the lead to 3-0. Dickman struck again less than three minutes later, scoring his second goal of the evening off another assist from Work to give Transylvania a four-goal advantage.
Transylvania added its fifth goal in the 33rd minute when Reece Heisel found the back of the net to extend the lead to 5-0. The Pioneers maintained control for the remainder of the half, outshooting Mount St. Joseph 14-0 and carrying a commanding five-goal advantage into halftime.
Mount St. Joseph generated its first offensive opportunity in the 55th minute when Brady Diedenhofer tested Ethan Drew, who made the save to preserve the shutout. Transylvania responded less than three minutes later as Wheatley scored in the 57th minute to extend the lead to 6-0.
The Pioneers continued to generate scoring opportunities throughout the second half. Dickman forced a save in the 63rd minute before Sam Dodds added a shot on goal in the 73rd minute. Stephen Bebe recorded four shots in the closing stages, including two on goal, as Transylvania maintained its six-goal advantage through the final whistle.
Dickman led the Pioneers offensively with two goals and an assist, while Work delivered a standout performance with one goal and three assists. Varela finished with a goal and an assist, while Heisel and Wheatley each added a goal. Chavez and Haskins also contributed assists in the victory.
Transylvania finished with a 23-3 advantage in shots, placing 13 attempts on goal compared to two for Mount St. Joseph. Work and Bebe led the team with four shots apiece, while Dickman and Wheatley each recorded three shots on goal. The Pioneers also held a 6-3 advantage in corner kicks. Drew played all 90 minutes in goal, recording two saves to earn the shutout.
Transylvania University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the HCAC. To keep up to date with all of Transylvania Athletics, check out our website at transysports.com and follow @TransySports on Instagram.
