WEST CHESTER, Pa.- Peter Tichy (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) scored the eventual game-winner midway through the first half to help propel the West Chester University men's soccer team (8-4-2, -5-2-0) to a crucial 2-0 victory in its regular season home finale over Shippensburg (2-11-0, 1-6-0) on Wednesday afternoon.
Today's victory gave West Chester three critical points, helping the Golden Rams remain comfortably in second place entering the final three matches of the regular season.
West Chester exacted revenge for an early season loss at Shippensburg in dominant fashion on Wednesday afternoon, outshooting its guests by a 20-9 margin, including a 7-5 lead in shots on goal, while also ending the affair with an 8-2 lead in corners.
Devven Frey (Wyomissing, Pa./Wilson) had an excellent opportunity in the early going off a corner as his shot from just above the box beat everyone but the right post, bouncing off the post and out of the goal to the feet of
Maksym Komperda (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall). Komperda tried to score on the rebound, but his chance went wide to keep the match scoreless early.
Peter Tichy (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) gave West Chester the lead midway through the first half, forcing a turnover in the midfield and taking it himself, delivering a well-placed shot past a crashing Ryan Krumenacker to give the Golden Rams an early 1-0 lead.
Olu Sonubi nearly tied the match up in the 30th minute with a flying header off a corner, but his chance hit the near post to keep the Golden Ram lead intact.
West Chester continued to generate chances down the stretch of the first half, but Krumenacker and the Raider defense did well to prevent these chances from resulting in a second goal. The Golden Rams carried a narrow 1-0 lead into the halftime break.
West Chester ended the first half with a 10-4 lead in shots, a 4-3 lead in shots on goal, and a 4-1 advantage in corners.
West Chester doubled its lead in the 59th minute when
Owen Slack (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) scored his fifth goal of the year off an assist from Frey to give the Golden Rams a commanding 2-0 lead.
West Chester continued to threaten in the second half, but the Shippensburg defense stiffened to keep the deficit at two entering the final minutes of play.
Shippensburg won a late corner and got a shot on goal off of this chance but it was saved easily by
Jaden Howard (Townsend, Del./Middletown) to keep the shutout intact.
Howard played well throughout the afternoon for his sixth win of the year, making five saves, while his counterpart, Krumenacker, made five saves of his own in the setback.
Up Next:
West Chester is back in action on Saturday afternoon at Shepherd beginning at 3:30 p.m.
