BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva women's soccer team came away with an impressive non-conference victory over visiting Pitt-Greensburg on Saturday, defeating the Bobcats 1-0. Senior
Noelle Beare played the hero with a beautiful first-half goal, and the GTs held on through the second half to earn the win. It was the first goal the women had scored since last Wednesday at Allegheny, and it sent them to their third win of the season, with Geneva's record improving to 3-3-3 overall.
The Golden Tornadoes had a couple of opportunities early in the first half, with freshman
Mackenzie Kubistek putting a shot on target from the top of the box and forcing the Greensburg keeper to put her hands on the ball within the first minute. While that attempt didn't trouble the Bobcats too much, Kubistek found herself with a clean look once again five minutes later after freshman
Olivia Deluca won the ball back in the attacking third. The resultant shot was punched high of the crossbar by the goalkeeper, but the GTs were dictating the tempo of the game.
Pitt-Greensburg recovered after the first ten minutes and began to put some pressure on the Geneva back line. In the 28
th minute, however, Geneva won back possession and had the ball near the Bobcats' endline. Sophomore
Philomena Hanna escaped from two Greensburg defenders and dropped a pass back for Beare, who sent a rocket of a shot into the far side netting of the goal from 25 yards out. That goal breathed a new life into the Golden Tornadoes, who held on to their advantage through the remainder of the half despite a late attempt from the Bobcats hitting the crossbar.
Geneva had several opportunities in the second half as well, finding lots of space in the middle and using it to play passes through. Several times it appeared as though senior
Abby Stover might come free on a run, but the Greensburg defense stood firm. With 15 minutes to play, the Bobcats had their best look of the half, with the ball headed toward the net off a corner kick, but sophomore
Sarah Wells cleared the ball off the line to keep the visitors off the board and seal the victory for the women.
The GTs outshot Pitt-Greensburg 9-7 in a relatively even affair. Sophomore goalkeeper
Natalie Foster made two saves to earn the shutout, a result made even more impressive by the fact that the Bobcats had scored 10 goals over their prior three matches. Both Wells and sophomore center back
Cassidy Stopchick held off the Greensburg attack well.
Geneva is off for a couple of days before they host Westminster on Tuesday, September 29, at 7:00 p.m.
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).
