The Elizabethtown College women’s soccer team picked up their first win of the young season on Saturday afternoon at home on Ira R. Herr Field, outlasting Lebanon Valley College 3-2. It was a successful Senior Day for the team, as three different Blue Jays found the back of the net. Senior midfielder Sydney Reich, junior forward Ava Whisten and sophomore midfielder Jenna Hoffman paved the way to an Etown win with their scoring efforts.
After falling behind 1-0 early, the Blue Jays struck gold in the 14th minute. Coming off an assist from senior midfielder Maddie McWhinney and sophomore defender Olivia Herbert, Reich unleashed a shot past the goalkeeper to knot things up at one.
A little over 10 minutes later, Whisten, who came on in the 17th minute, immediately made an impact. She put Etown ahead with her goal, assisted by Hoffman. It was just the first of her three shots on goal that day, posing a consistent threat on the offense end.
Coming out of the halftime break, both teams put on a defensive clinic. It wouldn’t be until the 60th minute when Etown would find some insurance. Hoffman released a clean strike for Etown’s third goal of the day, her first of the season.
Etown would let up one more goal in the 68th minute but clung on to the one goal lead until the referee blew the final whistle. With this win, the Jays move to 1-2 on the season, sending the fans home happy. Up next on the schedule for Etown is Gettysburg College. That game will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 13 at home on Ira R. Herr Field at 7 p.m.
The men’s team took the field for their game later that Saturday night, traveling to Lancaster, Pa. for their matchup with Franklin & Marshall College at 6 p.m. Unfortunately, they’d drop a tight battle, suffering their first loss of the season, 0-1.
The first half was a strong defensive battle. Both defenses proved to be on point, maintaining a clean sheet following one half of play. Graduate student goalkeeper Kelvin Del Cid, who totaled five saves on the night, made several clutch saves throughout the first half to keep Franklin & Marshall off the scoreboard, keeping things deadlocked at zero going into halftime.
It was much of the same story early in the second half with both teams once again struggling to find opportunities in front of the net. In the 63rd minute however, that would change, when Franklin & Marshall senior midfielder Philip Monos sent one past the keeper for the first and only goal of the game.
Etown’s offense showed more life late in the half, firing off a number of shots and applied pressure on the opposing defense but could not find any luck. In the 82nd minute, first-year midfielder Nikos Gousios sent a rally of efforts towards the net to no avail, as Franklin & Marshall held on late.
This loss moves the men’s team’s record to 1-1-1 this season. The Blue Jays will continue their road trip on Wednesday, Sept. 13 when they make their way to Reading, Pa. for their match with Alvernia University at 7 p.m.
