LANCASTER, Pa. – The Geneva College men's soccer team saw its tremendous season end on Friday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, falling 1-0 at Franklin & Marshall despite a valiant effort from the Golden Tornadoes. Geneva's season finishes with a 12-5-4 overall record.
Geneva had the better of the play for the first 30 minutes against the hosts of the weekend's four-team region. Sophomore George Cottenden had the best chance early on when, in the 16th minute, he went one-on-one with a defender, cutting back to the inside at the top of the box and hitting a shot just over the bar. Cottenden had another good attempt in the 31st minute, but his left-footed shot was just pushed wide by a diving save.
At that point in the match, Geneva held a 5-2 edge in shots, but F&M began to gain better control of the game after Cottenden's shot. The Diplomats applied quite a bit of pressure over the final 15 minutes of the half, and they almost scored in the 36th minute when Ian Kagan's header off a corner kick banged off the crossbar. It took a good defensive effort by the Geneva backline over the final minutes to get to the halftime break scoreless, which the Golden Tornadoes accomplished despite F&M gaining an 8-6 advantage in shots with its late flurry.
The Diplomats maintained their offensive pressure into the second half, though the Geneva defense did a good job of keeping F&M out of dangerous situations, and junior goalkeeper Evan Shale performed well in front of the goal, securing every shot he faced cleanly.
The Geneva attack couldn't find many chances for much of the half, though, and F&M broke through in the 71st on a Geneva defensive miscue. The Diplomats played a ball over the top that Geneva's defense tried to head back to Shale, but the pass was too soft, allowing F&M's Nic Petruso to get to the ball first and chip the ball over Shale's head and into the net. The goal was a frustrating moment for a defense that had been playing well, including holding F&M's Oscar Horwitz silent, who came into the game as the Centennial Conference Player of the Year after finishing in the top ten in goals scored in NCAA Division III.
Geneva looked for an equalizer late, and it almost had one in the 80th minute when Cottenden's shot from inside the box was headed into the net before it was cleared off the line by the head of an F&M defender. Cottenden had one last attempt from range in the closing seconds that went wide, and the Diplomats advanced with a 1-0 victory.
F&M finished the game with a 20-9 edge in shots, including an 8-5 advantage in shots on goal. The Diplomats also generated seven corner kicks compared to four for Geneva. Shale made seven saves in the match, while Cottenden led the offense with four shots, two on goal. Sophomore Gabe Singh was also active offensively, finishing with three shots, two on goal.
Though the loss brings a disappointing end to the season, the program has much to be proud of after winning its second Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship last Saturday. The Golden Tornadoes also have an exciting outlook heading into next season as all but one player, senior Antonio Fiordilino, is slated to return next year.
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).
