BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – It took double overtime to do it, but the Geneva College women's soccer team eventually came up with a goal on Wednesday night against visiting Oberlin College.  Freshman Taylor Greene (Conway, Pa./Freedom) found the net late in the final overtime period, sending the Golden Tornadoes to a 1-0 victory over Oberlin.  Geneva improved to 6-4, while Oberlin fell to 4-8-1.

Neither team could generate many chances in the first half, but the best opportunities came from the Golden Tornadoes.  Geneva came close to scoring twice midway through the first half.  Junior Erin Houser (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) hit the crossbar in the 30th minute, and then five minutes later freshman Lydia Beare (Mansfield, Ohio/Mansfield Christian) hit a shot headed into the upper corner before Oberlin's goalkeeper just pushed it onto the crossbar.  Geneva finished the half with four shots, while Oberlin had just one.

Oberlin had the better of the action in the second half, though strong play from Geneva's goalkeeper senior Danielle Lincoln (Milton, Pa./Milton Area) kept Oberlin off the board.  Oberlin managed ten shots on goal in the second half, forcing Lincoln to make seven second-half saves.  The Golden Tornadoes managed just two shots in the half, with the game still scoreless at the end of regulation.

Both teams failed to find a goal through the first ten-minute overtime period.  The game looked headed for a tie before Geneva struck with just over three minutes remaining in the second overtime period.  Houser received a pass out wide, and she made a run to the end line before cutting a pass back to senior Erica Sumner (Beaver Falls, Pa./Beaver County Christian) in the box.  Sumner made a defender miss and dribbled in on goal, but her shot was saved by Oberlin's keeper.  However, the rebound bounced right to Greene's feet five yards from goal, and Greene scored the game-winner into the empty net, setting off a Geneva celebration in the Oberlin box.

"This was a really encouraging result for our team," said Head Coach Linda Sumner.  "Oberlin handled us pretty well last season, so to come back and pick up a win against them this season shows the progress we are making.  It wasn't always pretty at times tonight, and our offense struggled to generate many good chances, but our team just continued to work hard, and we were rewarded at the end.  Hopefully this gives us some momentum as we turn our attention now to conference play."

Oberlin held an 11-8 edge in shots, including an 8-4 advantage in shots on goal.  Geneva did have the only two shots for either team in overtime, including Greene's game-winner.  Lincoln made eight saves overall to pick up her fourth shutout of the season.  Houser led the team with three shots.

Geneva heads to Grove City on Saturday for what will likely be its toughest test of the season, with Grove City first in the conference currently.


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 115 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 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.