By Dan DiLizia, Staff Writer
he Susquehanna men’s soccer team suffered a tough 2-0 loss on Sept. 11 to regionally ranked Lebanon Valley College, though Susquehanna sophomore goalie Kyle Speckhart led the defense with four big saves.
Lebanon Valley scored three minutes into the game, with junior forward Brayden Shuck sending a low shot into the lower left corner of the goal.
Susquehanna outshot Lebanon Valley 5-3 in the first half and led 3-0 in corner kicks. This wasn’t enough to get past Lebanon Valley goalie Sean Quirk, however, who produced three saves.
The Flying Dutchmen went into halftime with a 2-0 lead, as another goal scored via a quick give and go between freshman forward Lucas Strange and junior forward Noah Resuta ended with Strange scoring his first goal of the season.
The River Hawks tried to up their game in the second half, again taking more shots than their opponent and nearly scoring in the 59th minute on a big shot taken by junior defender Kyle Trainor.
“We started off slow, but definitely picked it up. Definitely could have played better,” Trainor said. “It wasn’t our best game as a team, but going into these next games, I feel like we have a good chance to redeem ourselves.”
Speckhart didn’t back down in the second half, turning away three shots by the Dutchmen.
The game continued to escalate in intensity, as six yellow cards were doled out during the last 20 minutes.
Despite the loss, there were indeed some bright spots for the River Hawks, however. Speckhart finished with a season-high of four saves, while junior forward Aaron Skelly and sophomore midfielder Joe Armstrong each attempting three shots.
“We have a great team. We just need to figure it out and turn the season around,” junior Patrick Bresney said. “The potential is there. We need to keep grinding and it’ll all work out.”
For Lebanon Valley, Quirk ended with four saves and the team’s second straight shutout.
Susquehanna suffered yet an- other loss in their following game against Arcadia on Sept. 14, losing 1-0 in double overtime. The men gave it their all, with a quality showing from senior goalie Matt Ellingworth, but it wasn’t enough to turn the tide.
There were only two shots in the second overtime period, both of which were claimed by Arcadia.
The game-winning shot came with two minutes left in the game, as Arcadia’s senior Brandon Pry- or scored off of an assist from junior Matt Berndlmaier.
Susquehanna had a valiant performance despite the score. The River Hawks beat out Arcadia 6-5 in shots and 4-0 in corner kicks in the first half.
Susquehanna junior mid elder Alex Bellot nearly scored in the ninth minute, but it was blocked by Arcadia goalie Jake Varrato. Ellingworth kept the team in the fight, with four first-half saves.
The River Hawks continued to hold the lead in shots with 9-4 and corner kicks with 5-3, but couldn’t seem to edge out Varrato, who turned away all five shots.
Ellingworth held steady by turning away three shots, earning a season-best of seven saves by the game’s conclusion.
Following back-to-back losses, the River Hawks once again suffered a disappointing defeat, falling to Wilkes 1-0 on Sept. 17 in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
In the first half, Wilkes out shot Susquehanna 8-7, while also leading 3-1 in corner kicks.
At the half, the game remained scoreless, but Susquehanna be- gan to gain momentum, totaling eight shots as opposed to Wilkes’ seven. That momentum wasn’t enough, however, as Wilkes was able to bury the eventual game winner around the 58th minute.
With 30 seconds left in the game, Susquehanna had a chance to tie the score with an on-target header and back-to-back corner kicks but the comeback could not be completed.
The River Hawks will look to snap their losing streak as they next compete against York College at 1 p.m on Sept. 21 on Sassafras Field in Selinsgrove, Pa.
