BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Calvin University men's soccer team lost 2-1 in non-conference action at Geneva College on Friday night.
Calvin (1-1-0) fell behind 2-0 and rallied late but could not find the equalizer in the final minutes
Geneva (1-1-0) took a 1-0 lead into halftime thanks to a goal by Travis Miller in the 26th minute of play on a ball headed back into the box off a throw in that found Miller in front of the goal to give the Golden Tornadoes a 1-0 lead.
The Knights had several opportunities later in the first half, including one chip attempt by
Colin Nieuwenhuis (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian) that the Geneva keeper made a leaping save on, while the Knights also won five first-half corner kicks but could not cash in.
Calvin keeper
John Hargett (Powell, Ohio/Olentangy) kept the score 1-0 on a point-blank save in the opening minutes of the second half but the Golden Tornadoes found their second goal on a free kick from outside the box by Logan Pappert in the 65th minute to extend their lead to 2-0.
The Knights got on the board in the 88th minute when Nieuwenhuis sent a left-footed laser from the left side of the box into the far, top corner for his third tally of the season to cut the deficit in half with 2:53 to play.
Calvin had several chances in the final minutes, but a blocked shot and corner kick in the final 15 seconds did not get through as Geneva held on for the win.
The Knights finished the match with 19 total shots, five of which were on goal, and held a 13-5 advantage in corner kicks. Hargett finished the game with three saves. Nieuwenhuis and
Matt Torrell (Webster, N.Y./The Charles Finney School/Liberty University) each recorded a pair of shots on goal.
COACH'S COMMENT: "Certainly a disappointing result tonight," head coach
Ryan Souders said. "But credit Geneva. Coach Dunda had his group well prepared and exceptionally hungry from the first whistle. We stand to learn a lot from their commitment and discipline.
"We'll need to rest up and recover quickly to get a result tomorrow. Thanks so much to our incredible fans who were loud and supportive tonight. Wish our output was able to match theirs."
NEXT UP: Calvin men's soccer will return to action tomorrow (Saturday, September 5) when it travels to Grove City College for a contest scheduled to start at 5:30 PM.
