WEST CHESTER, Pa.-Tommy Bodenschatz (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) scored the eventual game-winning goal late in the first half to help guide the West Chester University men's soccer team (5-2-2, 2-1-0) to a 3-0 victory over Millersville (4-4-0, 2-2-0) on Rockwell Field on Wednesday afternoon.
Today's victory halts a two-game winless streak for the Golden Rams and gives West Chester its first victory over the Marauders on Rockwell Field since September 2021.
Bodenschatz opened the scoring with the Golden Rams first shot of the opening half in the 40
th minute, using a well-placed cross from
Jack Dieffenderfer (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg) to give West Chester a 1-0 lead at the half.
West Chester had another good chance in the waning moments of the first half on a shot from distance by
Owen Slack (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) but the chance was handled easily by Jake Van Vorhees in goal for the Marauders.
Jaden Howard (Townsend, Del./Middletown) played well for West Chester in goal in the first half, making three saves and handling a handful of other chances from the Marauders as the visitors ended the half with a 9-2 lead in shots and a 3-2 lead in shots on goal.
Millersville continued to have the better of the play for much of the early part of the second half, outshooting, West Chester 8-7 in the second period but Howard was excellent in goal, making seven more saves to finish his day with 10 stops, neutralizing the dangerous Millersville offense.
Late in the match, West Chester got a pair of insurance goals as
Devven Frey (Wyomissing, Pa./Wilson) scored his third goal of the year in the 81
st minute to give the Golden Rams a 2-0 lead before
Cooper Jackson (Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson) scored his first of the year in the 83
rd minute, finishing off a rebound in front to give the Golden Rams the three-goal advantage.
Van Vorhees, who was once a Golden Ram earlier in his career, did not have the homecoming he had hoped for, finishing the night with four saves in the 3-0 setback.
Despite the loss, Millersville ended the match with a 17-9 lead in shots and a 10-7 lead in shots on goal along with a slight 5-3 lead in corners.
Up Next:
West Chester will be back in action on Saturday against Shepherd beginning at 2:30 p.m.
