BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – For the first 80 minutes on Wednesday night, everything went according to plan for the Geneva College men's soccer team in its match with undefeated #18 Mount Union.  Geneva had the better of the play for stretches of the match, and a goal from sophomore Cole Sauer (Middleburg, Pa./Midd-West) midway through the second half gave the Golden Tornadoes a lead heading late into the contest.  Unfortunately, Geneva fell apart late, giving up two goals in the final nine minutes, and Mount Union stole the victory away, 2-1.  Mount Union improved to 5-0-1, while Geneva fell to 3-4.

The nationally-ranked Purple Raiders presented another difficult task for the Golden Tornadoes in what is proving to be a challenging non-conference schedule.  Despite that, Geneva held its own in the first half in what was a free-flowing half of soccer.  After Mount Union controlled possession early, Geneva responded with the better of the play later in the half, with the Golden Tornadoes holding an advantage in shots, 4-2, at halftime.

Geneva got the goal it was looking for early in the second half when Sauer took a pass in the 57^th minute from junior Kevin Pasho (Smithville, Ohio/Central Christian) on the right side of the box and hit a laser into the far top corner from 15 yards out to give the Golden Tornadoes the lead.  Geneva carried that lead late into the game, but with just over eight minutes remaining, things fell apart.  Mount Union's Ryland Wikle found an equalizer to tie the game up, and then Wikle struck again three minutes later to flip the game completely around.  Senior Devaughn Johns (Mt. Pleasant Mills, Pa./Midd-West) narrowly missed a tying goal with 30 seconds remaining when his header in the box went just wide of the near post, and Mount Union closed out the match, 2-1.

"We've got to figure out a way to close out games," said an understandably frustrated Head Coach Gary Dunda afterwards.  "We have to come up with the key plays in the crucial moments of games, and right now we're failing to do so and it is costing us victories."

In all four of Geneva's losses this season, all by one goal, the Golden Tornadoes have given up the game-winning goal with eight minutes or less to go, including overtime.  In tonight's match, Mount Union held a narrow edge in shots, 9-8, and shots on goal, 4-3, with Mount Union gaining that advantage in the final minutes.

Geneva will be on the road for its next two matches.  The Golden Tornadoes will play at Defiance on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. and then travel to Allegheny for a match next Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.  The Golden Tornadoes will then conclude the non-conference portion of their schedule next Saturday, September 28, with a home match against Penn State Behrend, which currently sits undefeated at 6-0, on Homecoming at 7:30 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 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.