BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva College men's soccer team got a first-half goal from senior Carnel Kerr, and the Presidents' Athletic Conference's (PAC) best defense held off a late push from Grove City to win the PAC Championship, 1-0. Geneva improved to 12-4-4 and earns the PAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III National Tournament, which will be announced on Monday.
Geneva entered the evening as the top seed in the PAC playoffs, which earned the Golden Tornadoes hosting rights, while the Wolverines entered as the No. 3 seed, with Grove City entering as maybe the hottest team in the PAC having won five straight games. The match proved to be every bit as tense as a typical match between these two schools. In fact, in the last 19 matches between these two programs, only twice has the winner won by more than one goal.
Grove City opened the match with the early possession advantage, but the Wolverines were unable to generate any chances against the Golden Tornado defense. In fact, neither team managed a shot over the first 18 minutes before the Wolverines attempted a shot from range that wasn't a threat. Geneva waited for a counterattack opportunity, and it came in the 21st minute.
Grove City had a throw-in deep in Geneva territory, which sophomore Gabe Singh cleared by kicking the ball back over his head where Kerr corralled it 75 yards from Grove City's goal. Singh immediately turned after his clearance and began sprinting up the field. Kerr turned and sent a well-paced pass up the field into Singh's run, and the counter was sprung. Kerr took off on a sprint up the field, while Singh quickly dribbled the ball up the left side into Grove City's end of the field. Singh then sent a perfect pass into the box that Kerr ran onto and slotted a left-footed shot past Grove City's oncoming goalkeeper, Teddy Almeter, and inside the far post. In total, the beautiful, length-of-the-field sequence took barely ten seconds to execute and gave the Golden Tornadoes that critical first goal in a game where scoring chances were likely to be few and far between.
That proved to be the only good chance for either team in the first half, as the defenses continued to rule. The two team's combined for just five first-half shots, and Kerr's was the only one on frame.
Sophomore George Cottenden had a decent try early in the second half from the corner of the box, sending his shot just over the bar. The defenses really locked in over the next 25 minutes, though, with neither team able to generate anything offensively.
Grove City's first real chance of the game came in the 71st minute. Matt Herrmann sent a hard, knuckling shot that junior goalkeeper Evan Shale was able to knock down, but the rebound popped up right to Grove City's Noah Gray five yards in front of Shale. But Shale made a great second save on Gray's rebound attempt to keep Geneva in the lead.
Kerr and Singh almost linked up again in the 87th minute, but in reverse. Kerr sent a great ball into the box that Singh ran onto, but his low shot was deflected wide by Almeter to keep Grove City's hopes alive. That save almost proved to be a game-saver.
With a minute and a half to go, Grove City earned a corner kick. The Wolverines sent a ball into the box, where almost every player from both teams were stationed. The ball deflected to Herrmann, who sent a shot headed into the net before it was cleared by sophomore Wil Dunda off the line. The rebound bounced right to Grove City's Hunter Hardin, who headed a shot back towards the net that senior Antonio Fiordilino cleared off the line. That rebound bounced to Kerr this time, and Kerr cleared the ball down the field. That heart-stopping moment proved to be the last chance for Grove City, as Geneva held on for the 1-0 victory.
The final stats showed the defensive struggle that most of the match was. Grove City finished with a 9-6 edge in shots, with neither team able to reach double digits. Geneva held a 6-3 advantage in corner kicks. Shale made four saves to earn his ninth shutout of the season, which is now tied for the second most shutouts in a single season in school history.
"To win the PAC Championship with this group is just so special," said Head Coach Gary Dunda. "Our guys' spirit to compete and never give in is amazing. Grove City is really good, and really well coached, and we had to play well to beat them. But I just love my guys, and I'll go to battle with them any time, any place, and we're just so proud to be the PAC Champions this year in a very tough league."
Geneva will now wait to see who it will play in the first round of the NCAA Tournament when the bracket is released on Monday at 2:00 p.m. The bracket will be announced live on the NCAA's website, with the first round games scheduled for next weekend.
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).
