BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – With just over one week remaining until the start of the NCAA Division III men's soccer season, the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) released its annual preseason poll. Two years removed from a PAC title, and one year removed from semifinal berth, the Geneva men's soccer team was picked to finish third overall in this year's standings, receiving one of the 12 first-place votes. Grove City College, who lost in the final last year, was picked first.
It has been 23 months since the Golden Tornadoes last lost a regular season match, and almost three years since they dropped a regular season PAC contest, dating back to October of 2022. That success is due, in large part, to the stout defense that has become head coach
Gary Dunda's calling card over his 15-year tenure at Geneva. Entering his 16
th season, Dunda faces the tall task of replacing eight seniors from last year's team, including six players who started at least ten matches, four of whom started either along the back line or in goal. This year, he has a senior class of 12 players, the largest in recent memory.
Geneva's senior class is highlighted by two All-PAC selections from last season, midfielders
Wil Dunda (First Team) and
Gabe Singh (Honorable Mention). Each player scored three goals for the GTs last year, tied for third-most on the team, while Dunda also led the team in assists with seven. Fellow senior
Jeremy Thompson was second on the squad with six assists last year, while senior forward
George Cottenden is coming off a six-goal season.
Mike Rogers,
Noah Dworakowski,
Blaise Burns, and
Caleb Thompson round out the returning seniors who played significant minutes last season.
Geneva's junior class is headlined by
Ojha Ojha and
Collin Yeatts, both of whom scored at least one goal for Geneva last season, and they are joined by
Colin Shea, who returns to the field after missing almost his entire sophomore season due to injury. Midfielder
Luke Main leads the GTs' sophomore class after a tremendous freshman year in which he scored three goals, and fellow sophomores
Adam Thompson and
Avery Motes return after seeing significant time along the back line last season.
In anticipation of his large senior class leaving after this season, Dunda has brought in 14 freshmen to bolster the roster. Multiple newcomers are expected to see valuable minutes this season.
The Golden Tornadoes are set to begin their season next Friday, August 29
th, with a 2:00 p.m. home match against Division II opponent Point Park. That match marks the first installment in this year's Nate Ferraco Classic, which Geneva hosts every fall during the opening weekend of play.
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).
