Front Royal, VA – Christendom College Men's Soccer Team came out on top 5-3 in close match against Penn State Greater Allegheny on Wednesday September 26th.
After drawing in their last match against Greater Allegheny, the Crusaders took the field motivated to defeat the Lions. After an evenly matched first thirty minutes of the game, Christendom took the lead with a finish from Niall Maguire (Sophomore/ Chantilly, VA), assisted by forward Ryan Welch (Sophomore/ Atlanta, GA). Less than ten minutes after their first goal, the Crusaders earned a penalty kick which Maguire put in the back of the net. The penalty kick extended Christendom's lead to 2-0. Before the end of the half, the Lions quickly responded and were able to tie the game 2-2. The first half came to a close, threatening another draw between the Crusaders and the Lions.
Despite losing their footing at the end of the first half, Christendom brought new intensity to the second half. The Crusaders were able to break the tie with a goal from Freshman Isaias Odiatu (Freshman/ Winnipeg, Canada) off an assist from Maguire. The team's momentum continued with a finish from Joshua Cruz (Sophomore/ San Diego, CA), assisted by John Hand (Sophomore/ Spring, TX). The Crusaders now led 4-2 over their opponent. Christendom secured the lead even further with an impressive goal off the crossbar by Senior Aidan Oakley (Senior/ Irvine, CA) off a pass from Welch. Although Penn State put in another goal, the second half ended with a final score of 5-3, the Crusaders victorious over the Lions.
Crusader goalie John Hill (Sophomore/ Spring, TX) finished the game with an impressive 9 saves.
Up Next: The Christendom Men's Soccer Team will face Johnson & Wales from North Carolina in a home match on Friday, September 29th at 4PM.