Elizabethtown College took on Lycoming College in men’s soccer this past weekend in a Landmark Conference matchup. For the men’s team, it was senior day and they were celebrated for all they do representing the blue and white. The Blue Jays came into the game after losing their last two games against ranked opponents in Scranton University and Catholic University, notably putting up a fight against the No. 23 ranked Cardinals side before their eventual 1-0 loss. Etown came into the matchup sitting eighth in Landmark standings, hoping to find a key victory to boost themselves up the table. Lycoming came into the matchup losing their last three games to Landmark opponents Scranton, Moravian University and Goucher College, sitting ninth in the Landmark standings heading into this matchup.
Etown and Lycoming both fought for control through the first 30 minutes of play, with not many shots recorded and the first one coming 13 minutes into the half by the Warriors. Lycoming brought the first goal of the game with only a few minutes left in the first half of play, with the Warriors breaking free off an Etown corner, as first-year Xavier Dandridge netted the first goal of the contest to give Lycoming a 1-0 lead. The Blue Jays got back on the attack, trying to find an opportunity before the end of the half. First-year defender Shea Sporer received a pass from senior midfielder Jude Ashley and tied the game up at 1-1 heading into the halftime break.
After a few halftime adjustments, the Warriors took control of the game early, trying to regain the lead they had towards the end of the first half. The Blue Jays conceded a corner to Lycoming, as they tried to put all out pressure on the Etown defense. After the failed opportunity from the corner, first-year defender Jacob Wojciechowski scored for Lycoming, giving the Warriors the lead. Lycoming couldn’t sit back and relax with the lead as the Blue Jays were right on the attack after conceding the goal. Only five minutes after the last goal by the Warriors, Etown had an opportunity in their attacking third. After a pass by senior forward Aidan Valentine, Ashley finished the chance inside the box, tying the game at 2-2 and giving the Blue Jays life late in the second half.
Through the final portion of the second half, both Etown and Lycoming tried to break free, with multiple shots coming from both sides. Lycoming found their best opportunity as one of their players was brought down inside the box, with Etown conceding a penalty kick with around 15 minutes remaining. Senior forward Christian Woobay buried the shot in the back of the net, giving the Warriors a 3-2 advantage with the time winding down for a potential Blue Jay equalizer. A couple of yellow cards were picked up in the final few minutes, with Etown’s senior Dan Dein picking up a card and two Lycoming players picking up one each. The Blue Jays had a few opportunities including a corner kick in the final three minutes of play. Time expired, however, as the Warriors survived a tight matchup with a final score of 3-2.
Ashley led the Blue Jays in their efforts, netting a goal and an assist in the loss. Valentine finished the game with an assist on Ashley’s goal and one shot. Sophomore midfielder Caba Alvarez was credited with an assist in the game, along with two shots on goal. Senior goalkeeper Pedro Miranda had one save in the loss to Lycoming.
The Blue Jays moved to 3-8-4 on the season, moving to ninth in the Landmark standings. With three games remaining, Etown needs all three to have a shot at sneaking into the final few spots of the playoffs as most of the bottom six teams have three losses, with the only difference being the amount of ties. The Blue Jays will play their last game of the season against Moravian on Oct. 28 on the road.
