ERIE, PA – West Chester University's men's soccer squad stunned homestanding Gannon with a 2-1 victory in the semifinals of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference postseason tournament Friday afternoon at McConnell Stadium.
West Chester (11-4-4) scored a pair of first-half goals seven minutes apart to shock previously unbeaten Gannon (16-1-2), which did not score until the final moments of the match.
"Obviously, I am very pleased with our performance," West Chester head coach
Michael Benn said afterward. "I thought we competed very well against a fantastic Gannon team. I thought the boys executed our plan very well, and we are looking forward to competing on Sunday."
Frankie Taylor (Delran, N.J./Delran) put the visitors on the board in the 31st minute with his fourth tally of the season off a feed from
Jack Dieffenderfer (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg Area). Dieffenderfer then scored a goal of his own in the 38th minute to double the Golden Rams' lead.
Mason Clatterbuck (Conshohocken, Pa./Plymouth-Whitemarsh) and
Josh Daniels (Fleetwood, Pa./Oley Valley) were credited with assists on the play. Dieffenderfer's three-point afternoon leaves him with a team-leading 15 points on the year. His sixth goal of the season tied him for the team lead as well.
West Chester advances to Sunday's PSAC Championship Game for the first time since 2018 and the second time overall under head coach
Michael Benn. That kick is set for 1 p.m. at McConnell Stadium on the campus of Gannon University. The Golden Rams' opponent will be the winner of the other semifinal between Millersville and Seton Hill.
Gannon had not lost or tied a game at home this season until Friday afternoon and had not trailed in a game since a 1-1 tie to Saginaw Valley State in late September.
Daniel Good (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) made five saves for his school-record 42nd career win, including a stop of a penalty kick by Tinashe Katsande early in the second half. Good came up big again with a spectacular save off a header from Peter Wagner in the 53rd minute of the contest.
"I was really pleased with how Dan Good played in goal and how our back line performed as well. I thought
Cooper Jackson had the best game of his college career. It really was a group effort to try to manage all of Gannon's set pieces."
Good's counterpart, Samuel Alarcon, made three saves.
Gannon's high-scoring English tandem of Katsande and James Pool took just two shots combined, one for each, with Katsande's lone shot coming on his PK attempt. West Chester's shutout bid was spoiled in the final two minutes when Gannon converted its second penalty kick opportunity with 1:34 left. Rafa Hyde pulled the hosts to within one, but the Golden Knights could not get the equalizer.
NOTES: West Chester improved to 6-13-5 all-time in the PSAC Tournament ... the Golden Rams will be making their third appearance in the championship game ... WCU tied Millersville, 1-1, in the 2018 title game - Millersville advanced on PK's 4-2 ... WCU lost to Lock Haven, 2-0, in 2004 ... head coach
Michael Benn is now 5-5-4 in the PSAC Tournament ... West Chester is 0-2-2 vs. Millersville in the PSAC Tournament.
