The 2013 men’s soccer season began on Saturday as they had an away game against Queens College. The men are coming off a season last year where they went 8-8-2 and rallied off five straight wins to make it into the PSAC playoffs for the first time since 2007. They ended up losing to Slippery Rock in the semi-finals, but their spirits are high. They are returning their top four scorers, even though they lost their goalkeeper and three starters in the back, including first team all PSAC center back, Taylor Eisenhauer. They also have a new coach, Michael Benn, only the fourth coach in the 85-year history of the West Chester University men’s soccer program. Benn comes from Lehigh where he coached the previous seven seasons as an assistant. He was also the head coach at East Carolina University for two and a half years. When Benn was asked about the team so far, he said, “It’s been a learning experience both ways as I get to know the kids and they learn about me.”
The men ended up tying Queens College 1-1 in double overtime on Saturday in New York. In a defensive battle, West Chester struck first early in the game when one of West Chester’s captains, Connor Malarney, took a cross from freshman Miguel Ross and put West Chester up 1-0. They nearly made it 2-0, in the 16th minute, but the shot from Cameron Scott hit the top crossbar and away from the Golden Rams. West Chester would not score again in the game. Even with numerous opportunities, they just could not put it past Queens goaltender Sean Geoghegan. Queens knotted up the score 1-1 just before half with a goal by Jose Lopez on a cross from freshman Lawrence Nikaj from the 18-yard box.
The second half and both of the overtime periods were scoreless, both teams just not able to cash in. The best opportunity for West Chester to win this game came with less than one minute left in the first overtime period. Tommy Ryan attempted to hook a shot into the lower right portion of the goal. However, Geoghegan made a diving stop to save the game. The Knights had a chance of their own in the 86th minute of regulation when captain, Metri Abdul-Karim, took a cross from another teammate and fired a rocket toward the goal that Golden Ram goalie, Phil Horan saved. After the horn sounded in the second overtime, the game was pronounced a tie, sending the Knights to a 0-1-1 record, while West Chester and new coach Michael Benn start off the season at 0-0-1.
Coach Benn will look to get his first career win as head coach of West Chester University on Monday September 9th at home at 4 p.m. when the Rams take on the Caldwell College Cougars, who are 0-1, having lost to College of St. Rose in overtime 2-1. The Cougars of Caldwell were 6-10-2 last year. The Rams have an entirely new soccer complex on South Campus that is all turf, so the team must be really excited for that on Monday. The next game for Queens College is on Tuesday against New Haven. Best of luck to Coach Benn and the Men’s soccer team as the season progresses.
Ryan Calpin is a second year student majoring in communications with a minor in jounralism. He can be reached at RC784188@wcupa.edu.
Sat. Jul 27th, 2024
