Photos Courtesy of Susquehanna Athletics
By Thamoda Haputhanthri
Men’s Soccer Head Coach Jeremy Payne grabbed his first win of his Susquehanna tenure as the River Hawks hung on for a 1-0 win over Penn College on Saturday at Sassafras Field.
A mere 24 hours after the heavy loss to York, Susquehanna (1-2) looked to kick on and pick up their first points of the season. They looked to open the game with a positive attacking attitude, as they looked to control possession and pepper the goal of Penn College’s (1-1-1) goalkeeper Justin Crismale.
Susquehanna would finally get the breakthrough they deserved as a bullet from Zak Kreisher would beat Crismale at his near post and give the River Hawks the lead just on the stroke of halftime.
Kreisher’s strike would be the first time the River Hawks have led on occasion in three games. “Saw a little bit of space between their defenders, went for a little turn, shoot, caught the goalie off guard,” Kreisher said.
The game was a tale of two halves, as Finn Kramer who had nothing to do all first half, would be tested with 11 shots, making seven saves in the second half. Susquehanna looked to have loosened their handle on the game, scrappy in transition, and unable to hold the ball in the midfield.
They looked to sit deeper and allow Penn’s College to hold the ball and continuously attempt to equalize.
“Penn gave us a lot to handle, I was really happy in the last 10 how we saw the game out, but the first 35 in the second half was a bit of a struggle for us,” Payne elaborated.
However, strong performances from the River Hawk backline allowed them to close out their clean sheet.
The game would not be without controversy however, as freshman Joe Holmwood would pick up a second yellow late in the match, leaving the River Hawks to finish with 10 men. Six yellows were dished out from the overall 18 fouls in this cagey affair, with Penn’s College receiving the other four warnings.
The game would finish with Susquehanna and Penn College deadlocked with 11 shots each, with all 11 of Penn’s coming in the second period. “We take the win, we know we have to be better, and we have to get better if we want to continue to win,” Coach Payne said.
Susquehanna University will face Marywood University at Sassafras Field for their third straight home game Wednesday, September 9th at 7:30 p.m. and look to push their record to 2-2 overall.