By Tim Marcin
Elm Sports Editor
It didn’t take long for George Gabriel to make a splash on the men’s soccer team. The junior exchange student from the University of Hull in England scored in his first appearance in a pre-season scrimmage. Gabriel’s regular season splash took only a bit longer—he made his presence known in the fifth game of the year against Gettysburg College in Saturday’s final homecoming contest.
In the 73rd minute of the match, Gabriel lofted a shot over the keeper that clanked off the crossbar, hit the back of the goalie and rebounded into the goal. It gave the Shoremen a 1-0 lead, which would prove to be the final scored. It was the first win for the Washington College men’s soccer team over Gettysburg since 2003. In other words, Gabriel was just an 11-year-old lad the last time the Shoremen beat the Bullets.
Gabriel was not the only standout star for WC, however. Goalie Tyler Cabot made four saves, including a full-stretch diving stop on a Gettysburg free kick. His stellar performance earned him Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Week Honors. His clean-sheet is even more impressive considering WC was outshot 11-4 in sometimes torrential rain that made for unpredictable skips and bounces for Cabot to deal with.
The game was one of ebb-and-flow, with both teams trading who controlled the pace of the match. There were tense moments for both squads and periods of domination for both as well. The only breakthrough of the back-and-forth was Gabriel’s strike. It was enough for a historic win for the Shoremen and impressive first goal for the Shoreman on loan from England.