COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Behind an early first-half goal, the Ursinus men's soccer team defeated Washington College, 1-0, to clinch a spot in the Centennial Conference Men's Soccer playoffs on Saturday afternoon at Patterson Field.
With the victory, Ursinus improved to 8-5-2 overall and 5-2-1 in Centennial Conference play. Meanwhile, the Shoremen fell to 2-7-6 overall and 0-6-2 in conference play. The victory clinched the Bears' first-ever playoff appearance in program history. Ursinus currently ranks third in the conference standings with 16 points and one conference contest remaining. The Bears also remained unbeaten at home in Centennial Conference matches, closing out the regular season with a perfect 4-0 record.
The Bears celebrated 11 seniors prior to the match as
Josiah Moore,
Simon Muther,
Matthew McFadden,
Mason Lorah,
Matthew Lohr,
Aidan McBrearty,
Luke Hansen,
Stephen Mullen,
Mathias Stegner,
Kai Rosser and Michael Danter were each recognized for their dedication and commitment to the men's soccer program over the last four years.
As they have for most of the season, the Bears jumped out to a quick start when sophomore
Eliot Bowen scored off an assist from first-year
Joseph Kmetz in the 10th minute to put Ursinus ahead, 1-0. Kmetz intercepted a pass in the midfield and started a counterattack down the far sideline. He then sent a bouncing pass across the box, finding Bowen one-on-one with the goalkeeper for a tap-in goal.
Ursinus kept the pressure on the Shoremen backline as Kmetz and sophomore
Nicholas Grippa each recorded shots in the 13th minute. Washington College nearly found the equalizer in the 16th minute, but a bicycle kick from inside the box was saved by Moore to keep the Bears ahead. Both defenses denied several corner-kick opportunities, and neither team was able to capitalize on its scoring chances, giving Ursinus a 1-0 halftime lead.
Washington College responded after halftime, recording a pair of shots within the first five minutes before registering its first shot on goal in the 54th minute. The Bears' defense and Moore denied each chance to maintain the lead. In the 59th minute, Bowen was tripped inside the box, and the Bears were awarded a penalty kick. However, McFadden's attempt was saved by a diving stop to keep the score at 1-0.
Washington College continued to pressure the Bears' backline, but the Ursinus defense and Moore stood tall, denying each opportunity to secure a crucial 1-0 victory.
Washington College held a 19-12 advantage in shots, a 6-5 edge in shots on goal and a 10-2 lead in corner kicks. Moore earned the victory in goal for the Bears, recording six saves and his sixth shutout of the season. Washington College's Hannes Budde suffered the loss, recording four saves in 90 minutes of action.
The Bears return to action Tuesday, October 27, traveling to Misericordia University for their final nonconference match of the season.
