BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva College men's soccer team struck early against Waynesburg on Saturday night, with junior
Alex Yoder (Milton, Pa./Milton) putting the Golden Tornadoes on the board in ninth minute, and that goal held up as the game-winner in Geneva's 1-0 victory over the Yellow Jackets. The Golden Tornadoes also caught break when W&J was upset in overtime by Bethany on Saturday night, which pushed Geneva into first place in the Presidents' Athletic Conference. Geneva improved to 7-1 in the PAC, while Waynesburg dropped to 3-4-1.
Yoder's goal actually came from a counterattack off a Waynesburg free kick. Junior
Ian Gelsinger (Greencastle, Pa./Greencastle-Antrim) cleared the ball out of the box, and after it was kicked back in, sophomore
Noah Abdel-Nabi (Recklinghausen, Germany/Recklinghausen) corralled the ball and sent a long pass over the top of the Waynesburg defense, which hadn't yet had a chance to reset off its own free kick. Yoder found himself behind the Yellow Jackets' defense, but he was still five yards on Geneva's half of the field, keeping him onside. Yoder ran onto the ball and dribbled the ball down the field. With Waynesburg's defender almost ready to catch him, and Waynesburg's keeper charging out towards Yoder's oncoming run, he chipped the ball over the keeper's head from 25-yards out for a beautiful opening goal.
Geneva kept the pressure up all half looking for another goal, and the Golden Tornadoes almost had another one when freshman
Carnel Kerr's (Flankers, Jamaica/Carlynton) shot from ten yards out in the 37
th minute banged off the crossbar. It would have been Kerr's fifth straight game with a goal. Geneva outshot Waynesburg 9-1 in the first half, but had to settle for a 1-0 lead at halftime.
The Golden Tornadoes kept the pressure up in the second half, looking for that second goal that would have placed them firmly in control of the match, but no one could find the back of the net.
Sophomore goalkeeper
Gabe Kemp (Normalville, Pa./Connellsville) wasn't tested much, but he came up big when Geneva needed it. He was quick off his line with 15 minutes to go when a back pass proved too soft, and he barely beat an oncoming Waynesburg attacker to clear the ball. Then in the 87
th minute, Kemp made a diving save to push a Yellow Jacket shot just wide, Waynesburg's best chance of the night. From there Geneva closed out the 1-0 shutout victory.
While Geneva finished with significant advantages in shots, 20-5, and shots on goal, 9-2, the Golden Tornadoes struggled to finish shots and put the game away. Geneva had several good chances on headers from crosses out wide, but the Golden Tornadoes couldn't put a good hit on any of the passes.
The Golden Tornadoes will close out their regular season this Saturday when Geneva hosts Waynesburg on Senior Night, beginning at 7:30 p.m. The Golden Tornadoes now control their own destiny, with a win over the Titans securing first place in the PAC playoffs.
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).
