BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – Sometimes sports come down to inches, and that was the case for the Geneva College women's soccer team who suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to first place Grove City on Friday night during Homecoming weekend. Just minutes after a ball hit the Grove City post, the Wolverines scored late off a ball that initially hit the crossbar, enabling Grove City to pull out the victory. Geneva dropped to 4-6-1 overall, 3-2 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC), while Grove City improved to 7-4-1 overall, 4-0-1 in the PAC.
The match could not have started any better for Geneva. Just over a minute into the game, junior Saige Musser ran onto a ball at the edge of the Grove City box and hit a beautiful left-footed ball over Grove City keeper Courtney Lisman's head into the far corner to give the Golden Tornadoes an almost immediate lead. It's the first lead Geneva has held over Grove City since the Golden Tornadoes last defeated the Wolverines in 1999.
The lead didn't last long, though, and it came in frustrating fashion. In the 18th minute, Grove City's Natalie Merrick hit a cross through the box that junior goalkeeper Jade Farnsworth tried to reach up and grab, but it hit off her hands and deflected into the net, allowing the Wolverines to pull level.
The remainder of the first half was a very even affair, with neither team able to find another goal. Geneva held a slim 6-5 edge in shots at the half.
Grove City turned up the pressure in the second half, controlling much of the possession, but the Geneva defensive backline kept the Wolverines from many dangerous chances for most of the half. Farnsworth came up with a key save in the 61st minute to keep the game even.
The Golden Tornadoes couldn't create many scoring chances in the final half, but Geneva almost retook the lead off a corner kick in the 78th minute. Musser hit a ball through the box to the far post where it struck a player and deflected off the Grove City post, right to a Wolverine who was able to clear the ball from danger.
Three minutes later, Grove City took the lead. Tori Stevenson hit a shot from 20 yards away that Farnsworth made a leaping save to tip the ball onto the crossbar, but the ball deflected right to Grove City's Emma Herrmann who headed the ball into the Geneva net with nine minutes remaining. The Golden Tornadoes were unable find an equalizer in the final minutes and lost, 2-1.
Grove City finished the game with a 13-9 advantage in shots, though the shots on goal were just 4-3. The Wolverines also held a 6-3 edge in corner kicks.
Despite the frustrating loss, the women continue to show improvement as they progress through conference play. Geneva's tough stretch will continue when the women travel to Westminster, who was the preseason favorite in the PAC and sits at 10-1 overall, on Wednesday for a 5:30 p.m. match.
Through purposeful learning in a community reflecting the full spectrum of God's kingdom, a Geneva College experience inspires students to discover a faith-life calling in service to God and neighbor. Offering 195+ traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality and affordability. 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 the International Association for Christian Education (IACE).
