By Nick Forbes, Managing Editor of Design
The Susquehanna University men’s soccer team battled to a 0-0 tie with the Catholic Cardinals on Saturday, Sept. 23 in a game that featured double overtime.
The teams squared off at a neutral location, SoccerPlex Facilities in Boyds, Md, due to the unplayable conditions that plagued Catholic Universities home pitch.
Despite the final score ending deadlocked at zero, the River Hawks narrowly escaped without the loss.
Catholic peppered sophomore goalkeeper Matt Ellingworth all game with a barrage of shots, racking up 22 total shots in the match.
The sophomore held his own, accounting for eight saves over the 110 minutes for his first shutout performance of the year.
Susquehanna’s attack didn’t have quite as much success against the Cardinals stingy defense.
The River Hawks managed only four shots, and Catholic goalkeeper Zachary Tashjy saved three of them.
Junior forward Max Reed had a chance to give Susquehanna the go-ahead goal with 10 seconds remaining in regulation, but his shot ricocheted off the post, sending the game to overtime.
The chippy game, which featured 33 total fouls as well as two yellow cards per team, was both teams first Landmark Conference match of the 2017 season.
On Wednesday, Sept. 27 the team was back in action on their home turf on Sassafras field, winning 3-2 in heroic fashion against Penn State Harrisburg.
With just under 20 minutes remaining in the second half, freshman forward Chris Naiman netted a penalty kick that gave the River Hawks a 3-1 lead.
Penn State Harrisburg threatened late in the half, scoring with six minutes left in the game, but Susquehanna’s defense held out just long enough to maintain the River Hawks win.
Susquehanna got the scoring started in the first half, when junior defender Thomas Burke lobbed a ball to senior forward Ryan Cronin who found the back of the net, just four minutes into the match.
After the Nittany Lions scored in the 60th minute, sophomore midfielder Aly Kenawy answered with his first career goal, giving the River Hawks a 2-1 lead.
Freshman midfielder Jack Levy was credited with the assist on the play.
Ellingworth faced three shots on goal, saving two of them in his second win of the season. Susquehanna outshot Penn State Harrisburg 15-9.
The win moves the River Hawks to 3-5-2 on the sea- son, and 0-0-1 in Landmark Conference play.
Up next for Susquehanna will be a home matchup against the Goucher Gophers on Sept. 30, the second conference foe the Hawks will face this season.