JOHNSON, Vt. – Johnson State opened their North Atlantic Conference (NAC) schedule on Saturday by picking up a 2-1 win over visiting Green Mountain College at Minaert Field. The Badgers took a 2-0 lead into halftime and held off the Eagles to move to 3-2 overall, 1-0 NAC while GMC falls to 0-4, 0-1 NAC.
JSC received goals from freshman Ian Bullock (Middleboro, Mass./Norfolk Agricultural) and senior Ryan Joy (North Montpelier, Vt./U-32) with assists coming from juniors Ryan Demars (Morrisville, Vt./Peoples) and Mick Sheldon (Sandgate, Vt./Arlington). Green Mountain's goal was supplied by Charly Thevenau (Republic of Mauritius/Klein Oak (TX)) with Oliver Osnoss (Chilmark, Mass./Martha's Vineyard) assisting.
Johnson's Sam Martin (Essex, Vt./Essex) played the match's first half making five saves to earn the win with teammate Ryan Belen (Northvale, N.J./Northern Valley) playing the second half making four stops. The Eagles' Nate Kishbaugh (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna) made four saves in the loss.
Bullock scored the matches first goal in the 23rd minute by taking a feed from Demars who beat a defender from the right side. Bullock tucked the feed inside the right post to make it 1-0 Badgers.
With just :09 left to play in the first half JSC would make it 2-0 when Sheldon floated a ball toward the center of the penalty box that Joy put a head on and bounced it past a diving Kishbaugh to his right.
Thevenau would take a long feed up the left side of field from Osnoss and beat Belen to the far post with still 34:18 to play in the second half giving the Eagles new energy. But that is where the score would remain despite GMC holding the slim 14-13 shot advantage.
Johnson will travel to Paul Smith's College tomorrow for a 1:00 pm non-conference match in their next contest while Green Mountain will play at Castleton State College on Wednesday at 7:00 pm in a NAC tilt.