BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva College men's soccer team had a chance to clinch its spots in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Playoffs on Saturday night against W&J, on a night in which the Golden Tornadoes recognized seven seniors before the game.  Unfortunately, the Geneva defense had an uncharacteristically rough night, giving up four goals in a 4-2 loss to the Presidents.  W&J improved to 5-7 overall, 4-4 in the PAC, while Geneva saw its three-game winning streak snapped in falling to 6-8-2, 4-4 in the PAC.

Everything seemed to be heading in the right direction for the men's team as it entered it final home regular season game of the year.  Geneva had won three straight and boasted the top defense in the conference, having given up just six goals in its seven PAC games this year.  With a victory, the Golden Tornadoes would have positioned itself for a home playoff game in the first round.

Geneva had all the momentum early on.  Senior Ian Gelsinger (Greencastle, Pa./Greencastle-Antrim) almost scored in the 11^th minute when his header off a corner was just cleared off the line.  Senior Alex Yoder (Milton, Pa./Milton Area) almost scored a minute later when his shot banged off the post.  In fact, the Golden Tornadoes had five shots in the opening 15 minutes, with W&J posing little offensive threat.

However, in the 23^rd minute, the Presidents converted a long throw-in into a goal when Parker Byas got his head on the ball and put it into the net, giving W&J a lead against the run of play.

Just five minutes later, Byas struck again when a rebound dropped right to his feet, and he tapped it in to give the Presidents a 2-0 lead despite not having much of the possession.  W&J carried that lead into the halftime break.

Senior Cole Sauer (Middleburg, Pa./Midd-West) broke through for Geneva four minutes into the second half when his header off a corner kick from junior Noah Abdel-Nabi (Recklinghausen, Germany/Recklinghausen) pulled the Golden Tornadoes within a goal.

Geneva had all the pressure and Yoder pulled the Golden Tornadoes level in the 68^th minute when he corralled a loose ball, dribbled in on a goal and scored from 10 yards out, and Geneva seemed to have victory in its sight with all the momentum.

However, W&J quickly took that away courtesy of a tremendous 30-yard strike by Quinn Pickering in the 73^rd minute, stunning the Golden Tornadoes.  Seven minutes later, a defensive mistake cost Geneva again, with Nolan Agostoni adding an insurance goal, and W&J held on for the 4-2 victory.

Geneva outshot W&J 17-10, including a 7-5 advantage in shots on goal.  Unfortunately, the Presidents converted four of their five shots on goal into scores.  Geneva also held a 10-2 edge in corner kicks.

Despite the loss, Geneva still controls its own destiny, though the Golden Tornadoes are unlikely to have a home game in the playoffs.  Geneva finishes its season at Waynesburg on Wednesday night.  The Golden Tornadoes are currently in a three-way time with W&J and Bethany for the final two playoff spots.  W&J and Bethany play each other in their final regular season game.  A Geneva victory over the Yellow Jackets would clinch a spot in the PAC playoffs.  A Geneva tie or loss would make things more complicated, with Geneva's chances contingent on how the W&J and Bethany game finishes.

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 145 traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality. Geneva has one of the top 100 undergraduate engineering programs in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report. 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. Geneva was founded and is governed by the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) and is a founding member of both the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and IACE (International Association for Christian Education).