DEFIANCE, Ohio – The Geneva College men's soccer team headed to Defiance on Saturday looking to get back into the win column after a heartbreaking loss to Mount Union on Wednesday, and the Golden Tornadoes did just that on the back of sophomore Cole Sauer's (Middleburg, Pa./Midd-West) goal late in the game, defeating Defiance 1-0.  Geneva improved to 4-4, while Defiance fell to 2-5-1.

Geneva's offense had several chances in the first half to get on the board, taking eight shots in the first 45 minutes, but the Golden Tornadoes couldn't find the back of the net.  Junior Nate Burkhart (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) made a couple saves to keep Defiance off the board, and both teams headed to halftime tied at 0-0.

The game continued to remain scoreless late into the second half, as Geneva controlled much of the play, pushing forward often, but unable to find the game-winner.  That finally changed in the 83^rd minute when Sauer took a pass from sophomore Reed McCreery (Poland, Ohio/Poland Seminary) and put the Golden Tornadoes on the board.  Geneva held on from there to pick up the victory, 1-0.

"After a tough loss on Wednesday, I am very proud of how the team responded today," said Head Coach Gary Dunda.  "It was a complete team effort today.  It was a hot day at Defiance, so we played a lot of guys.  Our true character showed up today, and everyone had to battle."

Geneva outshot Defiance 20-10 in the game, including a slight 7-6 advantage in shots on goal.  In addition to Sauer goal, his second in the last two games, senior Jake Broadwick (McKees Rocks, Pa./Robinson Township Christian) had a team-high five shots.  Burkhart made six saves to pick up his first shutout of the season.

The men will head back out onto the road when the Golden Tornadoes travel to Allegheny on Wednesday evening for a 7:30 p.m. start.


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.