NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – The Geneva College men's soccer team's Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Quarterfinal match at Westminster on Saturday afternoon started poorly, with the Golden Tornadoes conceding an early goal. Geneva eventually fell down by two goals in the second half before trying to make a late comeback, but the Golden Tornadoes eventually fell to the Titans, 2-1, ending the season for the men. Geneva finishes its season with a 6-9-3 record, while Westminster improves to 12-7 overall and advances to the PAC Semifinals.
Geneva conceded an early goal in the game, something the Golden Tornado league-leading defense has rarely done this season. Westminster's Marc Esqueda found the net in the 12th minute, forcing Geneva to play from behind the entire game. The Golden Tornadoes settled down from there, but Geneva was unable to find an equalizer in the half and went into the break trailing, 1-0.
Westminster doubled its lead in the 59th minute when Kai Haseyama got a touch on a long free kick by Westminster, sending the ball into the Geneva net to put the Golden Tornadoes in a big hole.
As Geneva did earlier in the week when its season was on the line in the final regular season game at Waynesburg trailing by two goals, the Golden Tornadoes tried to rally. Sophomore Carnel Kerr (Flankers, Jamaica/Carlynton) got on the end of a cross from senior Ian Gelsinger (Greencastle, Pa./Greencastle-Antrim) and scored from short range in the 65th minute. Geneva continued to apply pressure, and the Golden Tornadoes felt they had twice earned a penalty kick when a player was fouled in the box, but the center referee waived play on both times, much to the frustration of the Geneva contingent, and the Golden Tornadoes failed to find the second goal it needed and fell 2-1.
Geneva finished the game with a 19-15 advantage in shots, while Westminster held a slim 7-6 edge in shots on goal. Junior Gabe Kemp (Normalville, Pa./Connellsville) made five saves in the loss.
The loss brings to an end a frustrating season for the Golden Tornadoes, who finished with their first losing record under Coach Gary Dunda in his 12 seasons. Geneva was in every game but couldn't find enough offense at times this season. In fact, the men were tied or led in every game this season in the second half, except for today's match. The Golden Tornadoes have seven seniors that have played their last game for Geneva, including some key players who will need to be replaced in the lineup as the Golden Tornadoes look to rebound heading into next season.
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).
