BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The men's soccer match on Wednesday night between Geneva College and Penn State Behrend represented two teams going in opposite directions so far this season.  Geneva came in winless on the season, while Penn State Behrend had yet to lose.  None of that mattered in this match, though, as Geneva used two first half goals to propel itself to its first victory of the season, 2-1.  Geneva improved to 1-3-1, while Penn State Behrend fell to 3-1-1.

Freshman Alex Yoder put Geneva on the board when he scored an unassisted goal in the 28^th minute, his second goal of the season.  That seemed to energize the Golden Tornadoes, who doubled that lead 11 minutes later when sophomore Chase Baxa took a feed from freshman Ian Gelsinger to make it 2-0.  It seemed to stun the visiting Lions, who had only given up one goal in their first four games, and Geneva was able to carry that lead into halftime.

The second half saw Penn State Behrend pick up the intensity as it tried to take back control of the game.  The game got a bit rough at times, as the second half saw eight cards shown, five on Penn State Behrend.  Despite that, the Lions were able to cut the deficit in half with six minutes remaining, making for some nervous moments at the end, but the Golden Tornadoes held on to capture their first win in 2018.

"I am very proud of my guys for staying together and not giving an inch to a very good PSU Behrend team," Head Coach Gary Dunda said afterwards.  "Our schedule is full of really good teams, and it will make us better for the challenge.  It's great to get the first win, and we are already looking forward to the next one."

Penn State Behrend ended up outshooting Geneva 18-11, including an 8-4 advantage on shots on goal.  However, Geneva made the most of its chances.  Sophomore goalkeeper Nate Burkhart got the start in goal for the Golden Tornadoes, and he saved seven of the eight shots he faced for the win.

Geneva has a week off before it takes the field at home again, this time against La Roche College on Wednesday, September 19, at 7:00 p.m.


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.