Phillipi, W.Va. -- The West Virginia Wesleyan Men’s Soccer team started their season with a 5 – 1 win over long-term rivals Alderson Broaddus.

Both teams started the game at a fast pace and it was the Battlers who had the first chance to go ahead in the match with Jose Noriega scoring but he was deemed to be offside.

Four minutes in, the Bobcats took the lead when Joe Rajakumar passed the ball across the box for Jordan Halpern to slot the ball into the back of the net.  However, the Bobcat’s lead only lasted for three minutes when Jose Noriega found himself unmarked from a corner volleying the ball past goalkeeper Derek Ayers to equalize 1 – 1.

Forward Alex Zidani could have gave Wesleyan the lead after 20 minutes when he received the ball wide on the left and showed some individual skill dribbling his way into the box only to be denied by AB’s goalkeeper Joey Wysocki.

With 21.20 on the clock, a corner kick from Wesleyans Matthew Brown was poorly cleared and allowed freshman Jens Demul to volley through a crowded box to put the Bobcats up 2 – 1.

For the remainder of the first period Wesleyan tightened up their defense with Ayers only being called into action once to make a comfortable save from Peter McMenemy at the 30 minute mark.

Just before half-time defender Tyler Marshall had the chance to extend Wesleyan’s lead from Zidani’s cross but failed to convert, heading it over the bar. With 1:30 left in the first period,  after a scramble in the Battler’s box, Halpern emerged with the ball but was denied by Wysocki who could only parry the ball to Zidani who made it 3 – 1.

The second period was uneventful until AB’s Jacob Freeland was given a second yellow card and leaving the Battlers with 10 men with 30 minutes still left to play.

In the 70^th minute Zidani notched his second of the game with a strike from 25 yards out. Leading 4 – 1 a foul on Brown in the 73^rd minute escalated quickly resulting in the dismissal of AB’s Cody Festge and Pat Kelly, and Wesleyan’s Tim Haldeman, and Joe Rajakumar.

The Bobcat’s continued to dominate the Battlers with Halpern squandering a couple of chances, and hitting the bar in the 82^nd minute after taking it around Wysocki. In the 87^th minute substitute Simon Marange grabbed the Wesleyan’s fifth and final goal with AB’s keeper unable to keep it out despite getting a hand to it.

The Bobcats outshot the Battlers 23 – 6 with Wysocki making 6 saves and Ayers making 3.

The Men play at home to Millersville Sunday September 8 at 2:00PM.