Box Score
Aston, PA – Neumann University scored a goal in the 33rd minute of Saturday’s Colonial States Athletic Conference game against Marywood University and made it stand, dealing the Pacers their second-straight 1-0 loss. With the win, the Knights improve to 9-7-2 on the season and 7-1-1 in the CSAC while Marywood ends the regular season with a 7-8-2 overall record and 5-3-1 mark in conference play.
On a rainy afternoon on Neumann’s turf, the first half was evenly played with each team recording four shots apiece, but the Knights were able to use of theirs to find the back of the net. In the 33rd minute, a Neumann attacker drove a hard cross across Marywood’s goalmouth that Pacer goalkeeper Jared El Gayeh was able to get a hand on, but the rebound fell right on the foot of the Knights’ Ryan Bushbeck who easily scored from close range.
Marywood pressed to equalize and nearly did so five minutes after Bushbeck’s goal, but a shot by William Gordon (Harrisburg, PA) sailed just over the crossbar from 16 yards out.
Both teams had chances in the second half, but El Gayeh (Baldwin, NY) and Neumann goalkeeper Zac Ratliff prevented any further scoring as the Knights hung on for the 1-0 win, clinching the second seed in the upcoming CSAC playoffs.
The Knights finished with a slim 8-7 advantage in shots for the game while holding a 7-3 edge in corner kicks.
El Gayeh finished with four saves while Ratliff turned aside five Marywood shots to notch the shutout.
Marywood, the fourth-seed in this year’s conference playoffs, will host fifth-seeded Gwynedd-Mercy College on Tuesday in a first round CSAC playoff game scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in Scranton. The Pacers claimed a thrilling, 2-1 double-overtime win over the Griffins when the two teams met in the regular season.