Springfield, Mass. – September 11, 2012 – The Springfield College men’s soccer dropped a 4-0 decision to Wesleyan in a non-conference clash on Tuesday evening on Brock-Affleck Field.

The Pride drop to 1-4 on the season, while the Cardinals improve to 2-0.

While it was Springfield who had been awarded penalty kicks in the first half in each of the past two contests, Wesleyan earned two penalty kicks in the opening 45 minutes of play.

Rory OÂ'Neill converted both of the attempts to give the visitors a 2-0 lead heading into halftime. The senior midfielder scored first at the 15:22 mark before ripping a shot just inside the left post in the 35th minute.

Wesleyan controlled the first half throughout, outshooting the host Pride, 12-1. Keeper Brett Bascom had his hands full throughout, posting seven saves alone in the opening half.

In the 63rd minute, Wesleyan tacked on its third goal of the contest after some impressive ball movement inside the box. Daniel Issroff collected a service and delivered a centering pass across the goal mouth to Evan Hazelett, who slammed home a goal from inside the six yard box.

The visitors wasted little time adding to their lead in the 65th minute. After Wesleyan was awarded a free kick 30 yards out, Brandon Sousa sent a well-struck ball into the box. Chris Kafina ran onto the ball and slipped home a header for WesleyanÂ's second goal in 1:34.

For the game, Wesleyan finished with a 22-8 advantage in shots, while both teams took five corner kicks. Bascom totaled eight saves in the loss, while Adam Purdy and Emmett McConnell combined for the shutout win. Purdy played 78:45 and made a save, while McConnell didn’t need to make a save in the final 11-plus minutes.

Springfield will next play on Saturday when it begins its title defense, traveling to Coast Guard for its New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) opener.