MARIETTA, Ohio – The Geneva men's soccer team suffered a frustrating 2-1 loss at Marietta in its season opener on a hot and muggy afternoon in Ohio on Tuesday, unable to hold an early second half lead while seeing the Pioneers rally late.
Neither team could find a goal in the first half, though Geneva had a couple of chances to get on the board when loose balls caromed around the box off corner kicks, but the Golden Tornadoes couldn't put the ball in the net. Geneva outshot Marietta 6-3 in the first half.
The men got on the board just minutes into the second half when junior Colin Shea's shot ricocheted off the cross bar to sophomore Msafiri Amisi, who collected the rebound, made a defender miss and slotted the ball into the back of the net.
Geneva fell victim to video assistant review (VAR) in the second half after some contact in the Golden Tornado box on a corner kick. After a long review of almost ten minutes while the referees got the video stream to work, the center ref determined a foul had occurred in the box and Marietta pulled level off the resulting penalty kick.
The Pioneers then found a late winner in the 84th minute off the foot of Gavin Heighberger, and Geneva could not find the equalizer while suffering a frustrating 2-1 defeat.
Geneva finished with a 13-9 edge in shots. Both squads managed just two shots on goal, and both of Marietta's shots on goal found the back of the net.
The men will try to rebound this weekend, but the schedule will get even tougher when the Golden Tornadoes host Calvin on Friday night and Baldwin Wallace on Saturday in the Nate Ferraco Classic. The Calvin match is slated to start at 6:00 p.m., while Baldwin Wallace will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.
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).
