SHIPPENSBURG, Pa.- Following its first home loss on Saturday since a 2-0 loss on September 10 to Wilmington, the West Chester University men's soccer team (5-4-1, 2-2-0) will head back out on the road on Saturday, hoping for a change of fortune along with its change of venue against Shippensburg (3-5-2, 0-3-1) beginning at 2 p.m.
West Chester at Shippensburg
Match Details: October 18 I 2 P.M.
Location: David See Field (Shippensburg, Pa.)
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Series: 32-11-6
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Last Time Out
West Chester was back in action on Saturday afternoon against Shepherd for its first home game since an October 1 victory over Millersville to open league play. Shepherd took an early one-goal lead, but
Luke Newman (Mission Viejo, Cal./Santa Margarita Catholic) scored his first goal as a Golden Ram off an assist from
Peter Tichy (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) to tie the game at 1-1.
Jaden Howard (Townsend, Del./Middletown) made a career-best 11 saves, but Shepherd found the go-ahead goal late in the second half to escape Rockwell Field with a 2-1 victory over the Golden Rams.
Flock Talk
Maksym Komperda (Whitehall, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) leads West Chester in scoring with five goals and one assist for 11 points, while
Owen Slack (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) is second in scoring with two goals and four assists for eight points. Slack is tied with Newman for first on the team and first in the PSAC East in assists with four.
Peter Tichy (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) is close behind with seven points thanks to two goals and three assists, including his helper on Saturday afternoon.
Howard is 4-4-1 in goal this season with 41 saves and a 1.78 goals-against average after posting his first shutout of the season with five saves in a 1-0 victory as East Stroudsburg on Wednesday night.
The Playoff Picture
West Chester (2-2-0) now finds itself in a three-way tie for third with Bloomsburg (1-0-3) and Shepherd (2-2-0) as all three teams have six points, while Millersville (2-1-1) and East Stroudsburg (2-1-1) are tied atop the standings with seven points each. If the season ended today, West Chester would be fifth in the standings with losses to both Bloomsburg and Shepherd serving as a tiebreaker.
Hello Newman
Newman, who scored his first goal as a Golden Ram on Saturday against Shepherd, is in the midst of an excellent season as he is fourth on the team in scoring with six points and tied for the team lead in assists with four, while also ranking second in the league and in a tie for first in the East in assists.
Series History
West Chester holds a 32-11-6 lead in the all-time series against Shippensburg after splitting the season series with the Raiders each of the last two seasons. Shippensburg defeated West Chester at home last year after stunning the Golden Rams on Rockwell Field in 2023 for its first road win over the Golden Rams since 2010. West Chester is 30-7-5 against the Raiders in league matches and 14-7-4 against the Raiders in Shippensburg.
Getting Our Rest
The PSAC East will not play a conference game on Wednesday with West Chester, Millersville, Shippensburg, and Shepherd all enjoying a bye before jumping back into league play on Saturday. East Stroudsburg and Bloomsburg will play mid-week non-conference games this week against Goldey Beacom and Roberts Wesleyan, respectively.
Scouting Shippensburg
Shippensburg is the lone team in the East that may be on the outside looking in of the PSAC East Regular Season Championship discussion at 3-5-2 overall and 0-3-1 in league play. Entering off a 4-2 loss at East Stroudsburg on Saturday night, Shippensburg has not won since September 27, although that victory was a 4-2 win over No. 18 Seton Hill on David See Field to conclude non-league play.
Anthony Weekley and Kyle Ganley are tied for the team lead in goals with four each. Weekley added an assist earlier this year and, in doing so, leads the team in points with nine, while Nate Herb and Ethan Paulukow are tied for third on the team in points with five each. Herb has two goals and an assist, while Paulukow has one goal and three assists on the season.
Ryan Krumenacker is 1-3-1 in goal on the year with a 1.80 goals-against average, while Jack McCann has an identical 1.80 goals-against average with a team-best 31 saves but is 2-2-1 on the season.
Up Next
West Chester will be back in action on Wednesday (10/22) afternoon at home against East Stroudsburg, beginning at 3 p.m., before hosting Bloomsburg on Saturday, October 25, at 12 p.m.
