BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva College men's soccer program picked up one its most impressive victories in recent program history on Friday night against visiting Calvin University on the opening night of the Nate Ferraco Classic. Geneva scored once in each half and held off a late Calvin surge to earn a 2-1 victory and even its record this season at 1-1.
Calvin came into the match as one of the most talented programs Geneva has faced. The Knights are annually one of the top teams in NCAA Division III, having advanced to the Division III National Tournament for 12 straight seasons while averaging over 18 wins over their last 20 full seasons.
Geneva's start was an impressive one, though, especially after a frustrating 2-1 loss at Marietta to open the season on Tuesday. The Golden Tornadoes picked up the first three shots of the match and in the 26th minute sophomore Travis Miller found the back of the net. Sophomore Logan Pappert sent a ball into the box that sophomore Msafiri Amisi flicked into the path of Miller, and Miller easily beat the Calvin keeper from five yards out to put Geneva on the board.
The Golden Tornado defense held strong throughout the remainder of the half, keeping Calvin without any dangerous chances while taking a 1-0 lead into the break.
Geneva continued its strong play in the second half, and sophomore Luke Kost almost doubled the lead three minutes in when he collected a loose ball behind the Calvin defense just a few yards away from the net, but the Knights' keeper made a tremendous reflex save to push Kost's shot just over the bar.
However, the second goal did eventually come. Amisi was taken down four yards outside the box, and Pappert sent a beautiful curling shot over the wall and inside the near post to give Geneva a two-goal lead in the 65th minute.
At that point, Calvin really begin to throw numbers forward, applying lots of pressure over the final 20 minutes. Freshman goalkeeper Eli Stasiowski and the Geneva held strong until Calvin's Colin Nieuwenhuis sent an impressive shot from the corner of the box inside the far post of the Geneva goal with three minutes left, pulling the Knights within a goal.
Geneva was able to see the match out from there, though, fighting off a few nervy moments in the final seconds to pick up the huge victory, 2-1.
Calvin finished the match with a 19-12 edge in shots, though many of those came over the final 15 minutes as the Knights fired several shots at the net looking to pull back into the match. The teams were even in shots on goal at 5-5. Kost led the team with four shots, while Stasiowski made four saves in the win.
The men have a quick turnaround for its match on Saturday against Baldwin Wallace on the second day of the Nate Ferraco Classic. That contest is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. on Reeves Field.
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).
