KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Geneva's men's soccer team hung with Trinity Christian College for the first half of Tuesday's match, but the Trolls pulled away in the second half to take the match 3-1. The loss puts an end to the Golden Tornadoes' time at the NCCAA National Tournament down in Florida, as the men likely needed a multi-goal win to advance past the group stage.

Senior Darren Main got Geneva's attack started early with a great look just inside the 18-yard box five minutes in. A botched clearance by Trinity went straight to him, but after taking a touch his low shot was saved by the Trolls' keeper.

The GTs almost scored again in the 12th minute, when senior Dominic Sambuco made a nice run from the right side of the box to the top before laying it off for senior Kyle LaPoure. LaPoure had his first shot blocked and deflected right back to him, but his second attempt was saved as the keeper fell on top of it before it crossed the goal line.

Play went back-and-forth for the next 20 minutes, but the Trolls began to possess the ball a little bit more and generate some attack. In the 38^th minute, Trinity won a penalty on a Geneva foul in the box, and despite senior goalkeeper Evan Shale making a fantastic effort and getting a glove to the shot, David Hernandez's attempt was deflected into the net to put the Trolls in front 1-0.

The men responded almost immediately. After they won a free kick near midfield right after the kickoff, junior Jeremy Thompson sent a high, arcing pass into the box. Freshman defender Avery Motes got a head to the ball and deflected it toward the middle, where Main tapped it in to even the score. The final six minutes passed by uneventfully, and the two sides went into the break tied at one.

Trinity came out strong in the second half, but the Golden Tornadoes kept the Trolls at bay for the first 20 minutes. However, after LaPoure's shot attempt in the 65^th minute was blocked, Trinity used the counterattack to retake the lead on a goal from Ismael Aguero. The Trolls scored again just over a minute later, putting the multi-goal win that Geneva needed to advance in the tournament virtually out of reach. Junior Caleb Thompson put a shot on goal and had another attempt blocked in the final ten minutes, but the GTs could not break through in the end and wound up dropping the match 3-1.

Trinity outshot Geneva 17-11, including a 7-5 advantage in shots on goal. The Trolls now look ahead to their match against Campbellsville University tomorrow, the outcome of which will determine which team wins the group and takes the automatic bid to the semifinal round of the NCCAA tournament.

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).