CALIFORNIA (Nov. 6) – The Vulcans scored a goal in each period and senior
Joseph Valeriano (Southampton, N.J./Seneca) recorded a shutout in a 2-0 win over Seton Hill on Wednesday night in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action.
With the victory, the California University of Pennsylvania men's soccer team improves to 5-6-3 overall. The Vulcans continue to sit fourth in the divisional standings with 12 points behind a 3-3-3 mark in league play, but were eliminated from contention for the PSAC Tournament on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Griffins fall to 6-10-1 this season behind a 2-6-1 record in divisional action.
The Vulcans took a 1-0 lead in eighth minute on Wednesday when junior
Matt Yingling (Gettysburg, Pa./Gettysburg) scored his third goal of the season off an assist from freshman
Chance Pursifull (Germantown, Ohio/Valley View). Cal U continued to pressure the net with three shots, including two on goal, and a corner kick over a three-minute span. The teams later traded a shot on target in just under 40 seconds before Pursifull later placed a pair of shots on net that were saved by the Seton Hill goalkeeper. The Vulcans entered the break with a 1-0 lead after placing five of their eight shot attempts on goal in the first half.
The teams traded corner kicks in the 60th minute before Seton Hill registered the first shot attempt of the second half at the 63:48-mark. The Griffins attempted a pair of shots midway through the half before placing a shot on net in the 76th minute. Cal U stretched the lead to 2-0 when freshman
Eli Mitchell (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands) received the ball at midfield from freshman
Jake Nebinski (Ardara, Pa./Norwin) and beat the goalie in a one-on-one situation. Mitchell now leads the team with seven goals this season, which are the most goals since the 2016 campaign.
Valeriano registered his third shutout of the season after tallying four saves in 90 minutes of action. He now ranks third in the league this season with a .775 save percentage while playing nearly 1,300 minutes in net.
Cal U finished with a 9-7 shot advantage despite attempting just one shot in the second half. The Griffins posted a 4-3 edge in corner kicks in the contest.
The Vulcans close out the season on Saturday, Nov. 9, when they host Mercyhurst on Senior Day at the Phillipsburg Soccer Facility with play starting at 3:30 p.m.
