BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – It was a frustrating result for the Geneva men's soccer program on day two of the Nate Ferraco Classic as the Golden Tornadoes dropped their match with Eastern Mennonite 1-0. This was the first regular season loss for the men since September of 2023, breaking a 27-match unbeaten streak in the regular season. The Golden Tornadoes conjured up many more chances than the Royals did over the course of the match but were unable to convert any into a goal. The loss makes Geneva's record 0-1 on the season.
The GTs opened the match with three tremendous opportunities in the first eight minutes, with freshman
Travis Miller just barely missing past the right goalpost in the fifth minute. Two defensive blunders by the Royals gave senior forward
George Cottenden a couple of great looks in front of the net over the next couple of minutes, but the goalkeeper got a hand to one and the other missed right. Things slowed down offensively for the men over the next several minutes, but the defense looked strong, with seniors
Caleb Thompson and
Noah Dworakowski looking strong at the center back positions. Neither team could break through in the first 45 minutes, despite Geneva outshooting the opposition 9-0.
Miller opened up the second half with another golden opportunity just three minutes in, dribbling past the goalkeeper before his shot was saved on the goal line by a lunging EMU defender. Unfortunately, the Royals responded six minutes later with a beautiful crossing pass that Dimas Portillo headed into the back of the net. Down one goal, the Golden Tornadoes could not rally from behind, and Eastern Mennonite held on for the 1-0 victory.
Geneva outshot EMU 14-6 over the course of the game, but only two of those shots hit the target. Freshman
Ian Lewis got the start in net, making two saves in his collegiate debut.
The men are at home twice more next week, with a 7:00 p.m. match versus Baldwin Wallace on Wednesday, September 3
rd, and a 1:00 p.m. match with RIT on Saturday. The Golden Tornadoes open the year with four straight home contests.
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).
