MIDDLETOWN, CT (Oct. 27) - Senior Walter Rodriguez scored the game-winning goal in the 86th minute as the No. 3 seed Wesleyan University Cardinals erased a halftime deficit to come back to defeat the No.6-seed Trinity College Bantams in the first round of the NESCAC men's soccer tournament here Saturday afternoon.

The Wesleyan winner came off a nifty pass in traffic from sophomore Dan Issroff from the 18-yard mark to a streaking Rodriguez. It was his first goal of the season.
 
Trinity had the halftime edge on an unassisted goal by sophomore Tim Shea in the 27th minute. The goal, his second of the season, came from 10 yards when he blasted a loose ball in the box over diving Wesleyan senior goalie Adam Purdy. Wesleyan still managed to outshoot the Bantams in the period, 7-6.
 
Trinity nearly added another score nine minutes into the second half, but Purdy came up with a fingertip deflection off a point blank shot by Christian Carrasquillo.
 
Wesleyan, now 9-3-3, got the equalizer in the 65th minute when senior Cabell Maddux flicked a header onto the foot of senior Rory O'Neill who chipped it past Trinity junior keeper James Ciano for his team-leading fifth goal of the year.
 
After the O'Neill goal, the Cardinals turned up the heat and dominated the remaining minutes. In fact, Trinity managed just two shots in the final 20 minutes of the period. Wesleyan won the shot tally, 16-11.
 
Purdy, making his 67th consecutive start in goal for Wesleyan, finished the game with four saves. Ciano had three for the Bantams.
 
Wesleyan advances to the NESCAC semifinals Sat., Nov. 3, which will be hosted by top-seeded Williams, a 2-1 victor over Conn. College in its first-round contest. The Cardinals will take on #2 seeded Amherst while Williams faces #4 seeded Tufts.  Amherst defeated Middlebury, 4-0, and Tufts knocked off Bowdoin, 3-0, in their playoff openers.

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