Photo Courtesy of Susquehanna Athletics
By Ashley Nace
The Susquehanna men’s soccer team fell to Lycoming 3-2 in Saturday’s game at Sassafras Field. The River Hawks (2-10-4 Overall, 0-5-3 Landmark) fought back from a 3-0 deficit with 30 minutes of play remaining to give the game a dramatic ending.
The Warriors (7-9 Overall, 3-5 Landmark) got off to a hot start to start the game as first-year Dylan Siegel was able to find the back of the in the games first minute.
Senior Aidan Stillman, who assisted on the Warriors’ first goal, was able to stretch Lycoming’s goal to two goals just minutes later as he was able to get a ball past Susquehanna goalie Finn Kramer.
With both Lycoming goals coming seven minutes into the contest, the two teams would be at a stalemate with both sides taking chances at goal to no avail. The Warriors held a 2-0 halftime lead after the first 45 minutes of play.
When the second half kicked off, it seemed Lycoming was destined to score their third goal of the contest with numerous attempts to open the second half. Eventually, the Warriors found their goal after junior Jake Keeney ripped one to the back of the net.
Down three goals to none; the River Hawks knew they had to get on the board fast if they wanted a chance to at least tie the game.
Only six minutes after Keeney’s goal, Susquehanna senior Zak Kreisher did just that, scoring the first goal for Susquehanna which was assisted by Owen Karr at the 65th minute mark. Kreisher’s goal was the first goal for the River Hawks in five games.
In the minutes that followed, the River Hawks applied more pressure, hoping to create more chances. As time became a factor, junior Jack McCarthy scored the second goal for the River Hawks with two minutes of play remaining.
“Even late in the game, I knew we could still score, so I kept pushing and stayed focused,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy led the team with five of the River Hawks’ 15 total shots in the game, four of which coming in the second half.
The River Hawks managed to get the game’s deficit back to a singular goal, however time wasn’t on there side. With Lycoming playing keep away and Susquehanna not getting a clean chance at goal, the Warriors were able to hold on for the win.
“We stayed together as a team and kept working hard,” McCarthy said. “We knew we could fight our way back into the game, so we kept our energy up and continued to push.”
Susquehanna’s goalkeeper Finn Kramer kept the score close with eight saves on the day. The River Hawks had a higher percentage of shots-on-goal, placing 9 compared to Lycoming’s 12.
“We want to finish the season strong and give it everything we have,” McCarthy said. “Our goal is to come together as a team, compete for the full 90 minutes, and end the season on a positive note.”
The River Hawks will play their final game of the season Wednesday, Oct 28 as they travel to Goucher seeking to finish the season with their first conference win.