Wright State improved to 5-0 at home Wednesday after defeating Horizon League newcomer Belmont 3-0 at Alumni Field as WSU scored three first-half goals in Wednesday’s victory.
WSU snapped a two-game losing streak after falling in back-to-back contests that the Raiders led in. WSU was nearly perfect defending on Wednesday not allowing a shot on goal during the contest.
“We set some goals for tonight, we met most of them but not all of them,” Wright State head coach Bryan Davis said.
WSU forward Peguy Ngatcha was a menace for Belmont’s defense. He pushed the tempo for WSU and forced the Bruins to guard him.
In the 21st minute, Ngatcha made Belmont’s defense pay for backing off on him. Ngatcha ripped a rocket from 25 yards out when he received a little space. The shot ended up being his fourth goal of the season and gave WSU a 1-0 lead.
“I figured tonight, I would take tonight to take some opportunities,” Ngatcha said. “Playing simple helped me to open my vision and look forward to the opportunities. My first instinct was to take that shot. As a player, I love having that space.”
Ngatcha drew more defenders on him and left Eric Lynch wide open in the 33rd minute as he gave WSU a 2-0 lead.
The Raiders added another goal in the 43rd minute as Sam DeRoy served a corner kick right to head of AJ Paterson who helped the Raiders to a 3-0 lead.
WSU let its foot off the pedal a little in the second half allowing Belmont to establish some possession. But Belmont was not able to do much with its pressure.
While Davis was pleased with the win, he was disappointed the squad did not score in the second half. The Raiders struggled in both of their last two matches in the second half.
“We need to put good teams away,” Davis said. “ We have been control of the last few games but we haven’t gotten the results that were intended. We’re not that team.”
The Raiders do not have much time to enjoy Wednesday’s win as Milwaukee visits Alumni Field Saturday night. While Milwaukee has struggled at times during the nonconference season, the Panthers are one of the favorites to win the Horizon League.
“We still have a lot to work on and a lot to prove,” Ngatcha said. “After the two losses we had, it is important to improve on the things we need to work on.”
