BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – It probably wasn't the result Head Coach Gary Dunda was hoping for to begin the season for his Geneva men's soccer program, but a late goal from junior Jake Broadwick proved vital in pulling out a tie against visiting Hiram College on Friday night, 1-1, on the opening night of the Nate Ferraco Classic.  Geneva and Hiram both now stand a 0-0-1 on the young season.

Geneva had the better of the play for much of the first half, but a failed clearance by Geneva off a Hiram throw-in deflected just inside the near post and past senior goalkeeper Luke Nolan to give Hiram the lead 20:34 into the game.  The Golden Tornadoes continued to dominate the ball in the first half but failed to generate many scoring chances, though they did outshoot Hiram 8-3 in the half.

Geneva came out with more energy early in the second half, as senior Liam O'Halloran began to cause problems for the Hiram defense.  Despite several good chances, the Golden Tornadoes failed to find the back of the net, and it was beginning to look like Geneva might come out on the wrong side of the scoresheet.  That's when Broadwick picked out a pass from freshman Alex Yoder and found himself alone in the middle of the box, and Broadwick deposited it the back of the net with five minutes remaining to knot the score.

From there neither side could find a winner, including during two 10 minute overtime periods, as the Golden Tornadoes managed to salvage a draw on the night.  Geneva outshot Hiram 19-8 on the evening, including 8-2 in shots on goal.

"I thought it was great to come back and get the equalizer," Coach Dunda said afterwards.  "We showed a lot of heart and character, but we felt like we gave the first half away a little bit.  Maybe it was a little nerves on the first night on the new turf, but I'm happy with the guys.  There's still a lot to learn, and we're looking forward to tomorrow."

The Golden Tornadoes have a quick turnaround as they host Lycoming College tomorrow night in the second night of the Nate Ferraco Classic.  Game time is at 6:00 p.m. at Reeves Field.


Geneva College is a Christ-centered academic community that provides a comprehensive education to equip students for faithful and fruitful service to God and neighbor. Offering over 80 traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs, and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality. U.S. News & World Report ranks Geneva as a Top Three Best Value Regional University with one of the Top 100 engineering programs in the nation. Adhering to the truth of Scripture, a Geneva education is grounded in God's Word as well as in a core curriculum designed to prepare students vocationally to think, write and communicate well in today's world.