BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva College men's soccer team got an early goal against Bethany on Tuesday night, but it wasn't enough as the Golden Tornadoes couldn't hold on and lost to the Bison, 2-1. Geneva dropped to 4-3-3, 1-1 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC), while Bethany improved to 5-3-2, 1-0-1 in the PAC.
Geneva got off to a great start. Sophomore Ian Tweed (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk) earned a free kick from 30 yards away less than five minutes into the game. Freshman Wil Dunda (Sewickley, Pa./Quaker Valley) then sent a cross through the box which senior Antonio Fiordilino (McDonald, Pa./West Allegheny) received on the back post. Fiordilino headed the ball back across the net and into the far side of the goal to give the Golden Tornadoes a quick lead.
The goal seemed to energize Bethany, though, as Geneva seemed to let up. The Bison controlled most of the next 20 minutes, and they eventually broke through in the 26th minute when a rebound off a Bethany shot went right to Lucas Puebla, who slotted it into the net to pull the Bison level. That's where things stayed heading into halftime with Bethany holding a 9-4 edge in shots.
Geneva's best chance in the second half came just over two minutes in when sophomore Caleb Chambers (Aston, Pa./Christian Academy) stole the ball inside the box and had a clean look from eight yards out, but he skied his shot over the crossbar.
The second half was a more evenly played half, but Bethany's counterattack was effective at creating dangerous chances, and the Bison eventually converted one of those chances late when Jahzinho O'Garro dribbled down the left side on a counterattack and beat senior goalkeeper Gabriel Kemp (Normalville, Pa./Connellsville) to the near post in the 81st minute. Bethany was able to hold on from there and finish out the 2-1 win.
Bethany finished the game with a 16-7 advantage in shots and a 5-3 edge in shots on goal. The Bison also had a 5-2 advantage in corner kicks.
Geneva will try to rebound on Saturday when the Golden Tornadoes host Saint Vincent at 7:00 p.m. on Reeves Field.
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).
