BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva College men's soccer team broke out of its recent slump in impressive fashion on Wednesday, dominating the Thiel Tomcats at home in a 3-0 victory. Geneva improved to 4-8-1 on the season, 3-3-1 in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) play.
The Golden Tornadoes got off to exactly the start they were looking for when, just two minutes into the match, freshman Msafiri Amisi collected a ball that was headed out of bounds 40 yards from goal. He then circled around the defense back to the middle of the field and unleashed a 30-yard strike that slid just inside the near post, giving Geneva the early lead.
Geneva dominated the remainder of the first half, with Amisi a constant threat down the wing. The Golden Tornadoes generated several golden chances that went either just wide or were barely saved by Thiel's goalkeeper Bryce Stefanowicz, forcing Geneva to take just the 1-0 lead into the half despite outshooting the Tomcats 12-1.
The Golden Tornadoes continued to dominate the second half, and Geneva finally found a second goal in the 64th minute. A Thiel defender played the ball back to Stefanowicz, who lost track of the fact that freshman Travis Miller was bearing down on him, and Miller stole the ball from Stefanowicz and blasted it into the empty net from three yards away.
Geneva put the game away in the 84th minute when senior Wil Dunda ran onto ball over the top from freshman Nick Lo Coco, and Dunda calmly slotted the ball inside the near post to seal the victory, 3-0.
The final stats showed the dominant game the Golden Tornadoes put together, finishing with a 30-1 advantage in shots, including a 10-0 edge in shots on goal. Amisi, with seven shots, and Miller, with six shots, led the team in shots, while Geneva also held a 9-0 advantage in corner kicks.
Freshman goalkeeper Noah Buchanan returned to the net after missing time with an injury, and while he had a very quiet night in goal, he did post his third shutout of the season in just his fifth start.
The win moves Geneva into a three-way tie for fourth place in the PAC standings, with just four matches left in the regular season. The top six teams qualify for the PAC postseason, meaning every game is a vital one for the Golden Tornadoes. Up next for Geneva is a road match at Hiram on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. against a Terrier squad that is one of the teams in the three-way tie with Geneva for fourth place.
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).
