(CHAMBERSBURG, Pa.) – Halloween came early for Wilson as
Jace Williams (Jr., Chesapeake, Va. / Hickory) tricked the Penn State Brandywine defense and treated the Phoenix fans to a rout of the Nittany Lions on Wednesday. Williams led a balanced offense that saw its largest offensive output and largest margin of victory since 2018.
The Basics
Score: Wilson 6, Penn State Brandywine 0
Venue: Kris's Meadow
Records: Wilson 3-9-2, 1-4 UE; Penn State Brandywine 2-10-1, 1-3-1 UE
How It Happened
- It didn't take long for the flood gates to open as Landon Howe (Jr., Martinsburg, W.Va. / St. Maria Goretti) found Jordan DeVincent (Jr., Eldersburg, Md. / Liberty) to put the Phoenix on the scoreboard just 2:40 into the contest. Wilson kept the pressure on as Williams, DeVincent, and Howe then combined to take four of the next five shots over the next seven minutes. While none of those paid off, it helped set up Brian Mulholland (Sr., Oracle, Ariz. / Canyon del Oro) as he intercepted a goal kick and went in untouched to put Wilson up 2-0 in the 15th minute.
- Williams' efforts eventually showed up on the scoreboard just a few minutes later. As Brandywine looked for an opportunity in the Phoenix defensive zone, Tyler Cottone (Jr., Milford, pa. / Delaware Valley) cut in front of a Brandywine pass and pushed it up for DeVincent near midfield. DeVincent then cut to the left before sending it up to Mulholland who gave a quick touch into the box where Williams crashed the goal and flicked it inside the left post for a 3-0 lead in the 20th minute.
- Brandywine wasn't without chances of their own and put forward a few opportunities to get on the board itself. Dakari Burton gave the visitors their first shot on goal in the 26th with Ethan Faulkner and Jackson Gamber also adding on-target takes in the 28th and 34th, but Dylan Ennis (FY, Gainesville, Va. / Battlefield) made the save each time.
- Scoring laid dormant until the second half when Williams added the brace in the 56th minute. Andrew Bailey (Jr., Mount Airy, Md. / Linganore) set up the play with a free kick into the box from about 35 yards out. Lenin Cinco (Jr., Chantilly, Va. / Westfield) was able to push it back out for a wide-open Williams who sent it to the left side once more.
- Wilson added a pair of insurance goals late in the game. Bailey made it 5-0 on a beautiful diving header on a perfectly centered ball from Mulholland in the 83rd. Williams then put the finishing touches on the game with his third just 36 seconds later with Omar Cortez (So., Columbia, Tenn. / Spring Hill) dishing out the helper.
Inside The Numbers
- Williams' hatty gives him seven goals on the season, matching his career totals coming into this season.
- The last Phoenix hat trick came on October 26 last season as Luis Jiminez pulled off the fete at Gallaudet. Coincidently Williams scored a pair in the game as well.
- Mulholland tallied his first points of the season with a goal and two assists.
- Bailey's goal was his third of the season and first since scoring a brace at Mont Alto on September 6.
- DeVincent's goal was his first of the season and second of his career.
- Defensively Wilson outshot the Nittany Lions 26-10 overall and 12-4 in shots on goal. Ennis went the distance to record his second clean sheet of the season.
- This was Wilson's largest margin of victory and the last time the Phoenix scored six goals since a 6-0 clean sheet against Penn State Altoona in the 2018 season opener.
Up Next
The Phoenix will look to add three more points to the table standings as they head to Phoenixville to take on Valley Force on Saturday. Kickoff with the Patriots is set for 1 p.m.
