BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – Soccer shootouts are brutal affairs and very unforgiving for just the slightest of misses.  A little over a year after the Geneva College men's soccer team defeated Westminster in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Semifinals in a shootout to advance to the PAC Championship, the Golden Tornadoes fell in a shootout on Tuesday night to the Titans, losing 7-6 in the eighth round after the game finished tied 1-1 at the end of double overtime.  Geneva's season ends at 8-1-1, while Westminster advances on to take on W&J in the PAC Championship.

Geneva had defeated Westminster three nights earlier to secure the top seed in the PAC Playoffs, but the Titans had withheld all their starters in that match in order to save them for the following day when Westminster traveled to Saint Vincent in a game that would determine the final spot in the playoffs, so the Golden Tornadoes knew this would be a much tougher match.

Westminster was the aggressor early on, and the Titans got on the board first in the 16^th minute on a Geneva mistake.  Westminster's Sam Accordino took a throw-in deep in Geneva's territory, and the ball sailed over the defense and was headed into the goal, which would have been disallowed because a team cannot score directly off a throw-in.  But sophomore goalkeeper Gabe Kemp (Normalville, Pa./Connellsville) instinctively reached out at the last second to try to push the ball over the bar, and the ball grazed off his fingers and kept going into the net, and because of his touch, the goal was allowed.

That goal put Geneva in an early hole, but the Golden Tornadoes battled back.  Freshman Carnel Kerr (Flankers, Jamaica/Carlynton) sent a cross through the box in the 34^th minute that senior Zach O'Connor (Darlington, Pa./Blackhawk) one-timed into the far post to even the score at 1-1, which is where things stayed heading into halftime.  Westminster held a 5-3 advantage in shots in the first half.

Westminster continued its pressure throughout much of the second half, and it was Kemp who came up with a couple key saves to keep the game tied.  In fact, the Westminster pressure was fairly relentless, with Geneva having very few chances in the half.  The Golden Tornado defense held strong, though, and despite being outshot 15-1 in the half, the game stayed tied heading into the first overtime period.

The game became more even in the overtime periods, but neither team could find a winner in the first ten-minute overtime period.  However, it appeared as if Geneva had found its double-overtime magic again when junior Ian Gelsinger (Greencastle, Pa./Greencastle-Antrim) scored off a loose ball in the box with two minutes remaining, but the referee called off the goal because of a foul he saw during the scramble for the loose ball in the box.

With the goal waved off, the game went to a shootout.  Each of Geneva and Westminster's first four shooters scored, but senior Nate Burkhart (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield), who had been inserted into the game for the penalty shootout as he had done last season in Geneva's shootout victory over Westminster, made a save on Westminster's fifth attempt.  However, with the PAC Championship on their fingertips, senior Chase Baxa (Slippery Rock, Pa./Slippery Rock) sent his potential game-winning kick over the bar, and the shootout continued.

Each of the next two players for each team made their kicks, sending the game into an eighth round.  Westminster converted their kick in the top of the round, but junior Cole Sauer's (Middleburg, Pa./Midd-West) attempt went over the bar, bringing a close to Geneva's season and sending Westminster into the title game.

Westminster dominated the final stats, holding a 23-8 advantage in shots, including 9-2 in shots on goal, with most of that advantage coming in the second half.  The shot totals were basically even when combining the first half and the two overtime periods.  Kemp finished the game with seven saves.

"This is obviously a heartbreaking way to see the season come to an end, but I've enjoyed the ride so much with this group, from our first practices in September all the way to tonight," said Head Coach Gary Dunda.  "I'm proud of all the work these guys have put in during this season, and I'm just sad we won't get a chance to be together for a couple more days, especially with our six seniors who have put so much into this program over the past four seasons.  Give credit to Westminster, who had the better of the play for stretches tonight, but we were right there at the end and the breaks didn't go our way at the end.  That doesn't diminish from what this group has accomplished all year."

Geneva will lose a strong group of seniors, including Baxa, O'Connor, Burkhart, Luke Herman (Greencastle, Pa./Greencastle-Antrim), Kevin Pasho (Smithville, Ohio/Central Christian) and Mason Mee (Greenlawn, N.Y./Harborfields), but the Golden Tornadoes will return a strong nucleus in the fall that will have a chance to compete again for the PAC Championship.


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).