OMAHA, Neb. - The William and Mary men's soccer team opened play in the Creighton Invitational, defeating Drake, 4-1, Friday evening from Morrison Stadium.   Senior Ben Anderson netted W&M's first score in the 43rd minute before the Tribe tacked on three second-half scores for the decisive three-goal victory.  The win improves the College's record to 2-2-1, while Drake falls to 1-5-1 on the year.

"We are pleased with the performance and with the result tonight", stated head coach Chris Norris.  "We did well to stay patient, take what Drake gave us and capitalize on our opportunities.  We will enjoy it tonight and start preparing for Sunday's match against Creighton."

After generating many scoring opportunities in the opening 45 minutes, the Tribe got on the scoreboard late in the half.  In the 43rd minute, Anderson netted his second goal of the season on a PK.  For the half, the Green and Gold registered 13 shots, with six coming on goal.  Defensively, W&M limited the Bulldogs to seven shot attempts with none coming on frame.

As second-half action got underway, the Tribe wasted little time in going ahead, 2-0.  In the 50th minute, sophomore Marcus Luster's shot was deflected between the posts off of junior Chris Perez's corner kick.  The goal was the second of the year for Luster. 

Freshman Ryan Flesch scored W&M's third goal of the affair in the 57th minute.  From 15 yards away and directly in front of frame, Flesch netted his first collegiate goal off an assist from classmate Jackson Eskay.  The assist was the first in Eskay's career. 

After scoring a goal of his own, Anderson assisted in Perez's score in the 67th minute, as the Annandale, Va., native punched through the Tribe's fourth goal of the contest just eight yards away from net. The goal was the first of the year for Perez, while it marked Anderson's third assist of the season.

With just two minutes remaining in the contest, Drake got on the scoreboard when junior Garrett Crall connected on his first goal of the year.  For the match, the College outshot the Bulldogs, 22-11, and owned the edge in shots on goal, 12-1.

The College returns to action on Sunday, Sept. 16, as it faces No. 2 Creighton in a match scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. (CT) kickoff.  Fans can follow the action online at TribeAthletics.com with live stats.  At a price of $4.99 fans can watch the action live courtesy of GoCreighton.com.  Sunday's match between the Tribe and Bluejay's will be televised locally in Omaha, Neb., on Cox channel 2.

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