HARRISONBURG, Va., Nov. 7, 2009 – A hat trick by freshman Paul Wyatt (Modbury, England/Ivybridge) helped lift James Madison to a 5-2 win over Towson in Colonial Athletic Association men’s soccer Saturday evening at the JMU Soccer Complex.

In the season finale for both teams, JMU finished the year with a 10-5-3 overall record and a 5-4-2 record in league play.  Towson’s final record is 7-10-0 overall and 4-7-0 in the CAA.

The Dukes scored three goals in a span of less 12 minutes in the second period to put the game away.

With the score tied 1-1, Wyatt’s header from 12 yards off a ball served from near midfield by redshirt junior Jonathan Smithgall (Fairfax Station, Va./Lake Braddock) put the Dukes up 2-1.  The score came at the 56:25 mark.

JMU struck again just over a minute later.  Senior Billy Swetra (Egg Harbor City, N.J./Absegami) served a corner kick into the box, where sophomore Jason Gannon (Vienna, Va./Flint Hill) knocked the ball into the net from close range at 57:38.

Towson closed within a goal at 3-2 on a header by redshirt sophomore Liam Maloney (Liverpool, England/West Darby Comprehensive) in the 63rd minute.  On a free kick from the right side of the field, Towson sent a ball into the far side of the box.  Senior Tommy Appel-Schumacher (Ramstein, Germany/American Ramstein) headed the ball to the right side of the box, where Maloney finished off the play on a header into the right side of the goal.

Minutes later, Wyatt got his third goal of the evening to push the Dukes’ lead to 4-2.  He dribbled near the end line into the left side of the box and then struck the ball, which hit a Towson defender and came back to Wyatt.  He hit a shot into the left corner of the goal from about three yards out in the 69th minute.

JMU’s fifth goal came in the closing minutes.  Swetra served a ball from the left side of the field into the box, where junior CJ Sapong (Manassas, Va./Forest Park) rushed in past two defenders to knock the pass into the goal.  The score came with 4:02 left to play.

In the opening half, JMU got on the scoreboard first when Wyatt tallied the first of his three goals in the 17th minute.  Senior Joel Senior (Kingston, Jamaica/Archbishop Carroll) sent a ball down field to Wyatt, who dribbled into the left side of the box and knocked a 15-yard shot into the right side of the goal.

Towson tied the game at 1-1 on a play that began with a corner kick by Maloney.  The kick hit off a JMU defender to Towson junior Joe O’Rourke (London, England/Bacon’s Tech College), who struck a shot from close range.  His attempt hit off a JMU defender and into the net.  The tying score came in the 31st minute.