West Chester vs Millersville
Game Details: October 2 I 3 p.m.
Location: Rockwell Field (West Chester, Pa.)
Series: 27-24-5
Coverage Links: Live Stats I Video
WCU Links: NEWS I ROSTER I SCHEDULE I STATS
Millersville Links: NEWS I ROSTER I SCHEDULE I STATS
Last Time Out
Former Millersville transfer Devven Frey (Wyomissing, Pa./Wilson) scored just 53 seconds into the match on Saturday, and it looked for much of the next 89 minutes that this goal would hold up, but Cal found the equalizer with just 20 seconds to play to force a 1-1 draw against the visiting Golden Rams. West Chester dominated the match throughout the afternoon, ending the game with an 8-6 lead in shots, a 4-2 lead in shots on goal, and an 8-0 lead in corners, but the Vulcan's second shot on target of the game and first since the early stages of the first half was enough to allow the hosts to escape with a 1-1 draw against the Golden Rams.
Flock Talk
Maksym Komperda (Whitehall, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic), who was named PSAC East Athlete of the Week earlier this year after scoring a pair of goals in the first week of the season, leads the team in goals (four) and points (nine), while Peter Tichy (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) is close behind with three goals and seven points of his own. Komperda and Tichy are two of nine players to score a goal already this season and two of 12 to record a point as Mason Clatterbuck (Conshocken, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh), Jason Goldfeder (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cedar Cliff) and Phil Udo-Inyang (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) have all assisted on goals this year. Clatterbuck and Goldfeder are tied for the team lead in helpers with three each.
With its nine goal scorers this year, West Chester has already scored over half as many as it did in 2023, ending the 2023 season, including an appearance in the PSAC Championship game and NCAA Tournament with 30 goals from 13 players.
The offensive uptick has been significant for Benn and the Golden Rams this year as West Chester has new faces in goal, with sophomores Alexi Amanatidis (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./The Shipley School) and Jaden Howard (Townsend, Del./Middletown) splitting time between the pipes. Amanatidis and Howard are both 2-1-1 on the year and Amanatidis owns a 2.00 goals-against average, while Howard has a 1.25 goals-against average with two shutouts.
Bouncing Back
Since the beginning of last season, West Chester is 7-1-3 in games following a loss or tie, including a 2-1 victory over Gannon in the PSAC Semifinals after a loss to end the regular season and a tie to open the PSAC Tournament. West Chester is also 2-0-1 in such games in 2024, including a 5-0 win over Holy Family after a 1-1 draw at Jefferson and a 4-2 win over Bloomsburg after a 4-0 setback at Mercy.
League Honors
West Chester has earned two PSAC East Athlete of the Week award certificates this season, as Komperda and Tichy were honored on the first and third weeks of the season. This week, the league office recognized Richy Valverde of Millersville after scoring twice in the first 12 minutes of a 3-1 non-league victory over Wilmington last Wednesday evening as part of a 2-0 week for the Marauders.
Home Sweet Home
Today is the first of a four-game homestand for West Chester as the Golden Rams will be home for the next two weeks, welcoming Millersville, Shepherd (10/5), East Stroudsburg (10/9), and Gannon (10/12) to Rockwell Field before heading back out on the road to face Bloomsburg on October 19. The Golden Rams home game vs Gannon, which may well have NCAA Tournament implications, will also serve as Senior Day for head coach Michael Benn and the Golden Rams.
The Rivalry
West Chester holds a slim 27-24-5 lead in the all-time series against Millersville, although the Golden Rams have seen this advantage decrease in recent years as Millersville has won three of the last four meetings. Two of the 56 meetings between the two teams have come in PSAC Championship games since 2018, with the Marauders escaping in both 2018 and 2023. West Chester and Millersville also have some familiar faces, as Marauder goalkeeper Jake Van Voorhees was once a Golden Ram, while Golden Rams Frey and Christian Vorchheimer (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) started their careers as Marauders.
Scouting Millersville
Millersville enters play on Wednesday with wins in three of its last four games, including a 3-1 victory at Wilmington last Wednesday and a 1-0 victory over East Stroudsburg on Alumni Day on Saturday. While they are 4-3-0 on the year with three shutout losses on the books, the PSAC East preseason favorite Marauders are a perfect 2-0-0 in league action with wins over Shippensburg (3-0) on September 18 and ESU this past weekend. Valverde is tied with Matis Schmidt for the team lead in goals with three each for six points each, while Michael Dempsey leads the team in assists with two on the year. In goal, Van Vorhees has started four of seven games and is 3-1-0 with a 0.57 goals-against average after taking over for veteran Travis Holiday, who is 1-2-0 with a 2.00 goals-against average.
