BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva College women's soccer team earned an important home draw with Allegheny on Saturday afternoon on Reeves Field, finding the net twice in a 2-2 match with the Gators. The point is important for the women's chances at qualifying for the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) playoffs at the end of the year. Geneva is now 3-4-4 overall, 2-1-1 in the PAC.
Allegheny had the better of the play early, and the Gators struck first when Katherine Surdykowski was played in on goal, converting in the 20th minute to put Geneva in a hole.
The Golden Tornadoes responded well, though, taking over the play after the Allegheny goal. Geneva almost scored in the 29th minute when Allegheny cleared a ball off the line, but the Golden Tornadoes pulled level on the resulting corner kick. Junior Noelle Beare sent in a beautiful cross into the box off the corner, and senior Anna Ulmer got to it first on the near post, heading the ball across the goal and inside the far post.
The women got a boost a few minutes later when junior Renae Mohrbacher, a standout transfer from Robert Morris who was inactive early in the season while recovering from an injury, made her Golden Tornado debut, and it didn't take long for the talented striker to make an impact. In the 41st minute, Beare sent in another cross to the back post that junior Abby Stover headed back across the net into the path of Mohrbacher. Mohrbacher slotted the ball into the net to send Geneva into the break with a 2-1 lead, the first time the Golden Tornadoes have scored multiple goals in a game this year.
Allegheny pulled level ten minutes into the second half on a goal from Delaney David, and the Gators almost retook the lead a few minutes later, but freshman goalkeeper Natalie Foster came up with a huge save to keep the game level.
Neither side could find a winner over the final twenty minutes, and the two teams settled for a 2-2 draw as time expired.
Geneva put together one of their better performances of the season, playing an Allegheny squad evenly that tied with Grove City 1-1 a week ago. Allegheny held a slim 13-12 edge in shots, along with an 8-7 advantage in shots on goal, while Geneva held a 4-0 edge in corner kicks. Mohrbacher totaled a team-high five shots, three on goal, in just 32 minutes in her Geneva debut. Foster came up with six saves in goal.
The women will return to action on Tuesday with a 7:00 p.m. match at Saint Vincent.
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).
