Bermuda Footballers Help Thomas College Win
Thomas College secured a resounding 7 – 1 victory over the University of Maine at Presque and five Bermudian players – Cody Robinson, Shane Robinson, Isaiah Francis, Tre Burgess, and Joshua Joseph – contributed to the team’s success.
With this win, Thomas College clinched the 2024 North Atlantic Conference [NAC] regular season championship, concluding their regular season campaign with an impressive record. They are now poised to face #4 seed Husson University in their upcoming play-off match.
Despite an early barrage of shots, Thomas College initially struggled to capitalize on their offensive pressure. However, a penalty kick awarded midway through the first half provided the breakthrough. Joseph confidently converted the penalty to give Thomas College a 1 – 0 lead.
The University of Maine at Presque briefly leveled the score with a penalty kick of their own, but Thomas College responded swiftly. David Ivarsson found the back of the net just before halftime, capitalizing on an Andrew Hodgins through ball to restore the lead.
The second half saw Thomas College further assert their dominance. Francis extended the advantage with a well-placed header from an Ivarsson corner kick. Joseph then took center stage, completing a remarkable hat-trick with two goals in quick succession, propelling Thomas College to a commanding 5 – 1 lead.
The offensive onslaught continued as Harry Clough and Shane Robinson each added a goal, both assisted by Joseph, to bring the final score to 7 – 1. Senior goalkeeper Matthew Gosselin delivered a solid performance, recording four saves in 65 minutes of play.
Joseph’s exceptional performance earned him the NAC men’s soccer player of the week award. He achieved the remarkable feat of scoring two hat-tricks in the same week, first against Lesley University and then against the University of Maine at Presque Isle. In addition to his six goals, he also provided two assists against the Owls and reached the career milestone of 100 points as a Thomas College player.
