WEST CHESTER, Pa.- The West Chester University men's soccer team (2-2-1) returns home on Saturday for a non-league battle against PSAC West member California (Pa.) (2-2-1) beginning at 1 p.m. The Golden Rams will look to get back in the win column after falling to Gannon on the road last Saturday afternoon as they welcome the Vulcans to South Campus for a Senior Day clash.
West Chester vs California (Pa.)
Match Details: Saturday, September 27 I 1 P.M.
Location: Rockwell Field (West Chester, Pa.)
Series: 16-9-2
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Last Time Out
West Chester returned to action on Saturday in a PSAC Semifinal rematch at Gannon, tangling with the Golden Knights in an important early-season non-league tilt. Gannon got out to an early lead before Komperda tied things up at 1-1 with a goal in the 24
th minute. Gannon tacked on two more goals down the stretch to prevail by a 3-1 final on Saturday afternoon.
Flock Talk
The Golden Ram offense is led by forward
Maksym Komperda (Whitehall, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic), who tallies four goals and one assist on the season for a total of nine points. Komperda has scored at least one goal in each of the last three games and had the team's only goal at Gannon last Saturday afternoon.
Peter Tichy (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) leads the Golden Rams in assists for the season with two, placing him second in points for the team.
Jaden Howard (Townsend, Del./Middletown) has been the starter in goal for much of the season, playing to a record of 1-2-1 with a 2.50 goals-against average.
Alexi Amanatidis (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./The Shipley School) also has one start and one victory this season, earning the starting nod in a 3-1 win at Southern Connecticut State earlier this month.
Hot Streak
Komperda has a team-best four goals on the year and has scored all four of these goals in the last three games. The junior forward scored twice against Southern Connecticut State on September 13 and added goals against Mercy and Gannon a week ago. Komperda is now tied for first in the PSAC in goals and is second in the league in points with nine.
Thank You Seniors
At halftime of Saturday's game, West Chester will pause to honor its senior class, which includes
Jason Goldfeder (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cedar Cliff), Owen Slack (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley), and Dillon Barbieri (Souderton, Pa./Souderton).
Home Sweet Home
Saturday's game is the first of two straight at home for West Chester, as the Golden Rams will host Millersville on Wednesday, October 1, at 3:30. After its home tilt against Millersville, West Chester will play two straight away from home, with its next home game on October 11 against Shepherd.
Next Exit
Saturday's game is the second-to-last non-conference game of the year for West Chester, but it remains the last non-league game before conference play begins in earnest. Originally set to be the last, West Chester will play Holy Family in November after the first meeting against the Tigers, scheduled for early September, was postponed due to Holy Family logistical issues.
Series History
West Chester is 16-9-2 vs Cal since September 1993, when the series began with a 4-2 victory for the Golden Rams. West Chester faced Cal for the first time since 2018 last September and finished with a 1-1 draw after the Vulcans scored the tying goal with just 20 seconds to play in the match, stealing a 1-0 victory away from the visiting Golden Rams. Cal will play its first game in West Chester since October 2018, when the Golden Rams defeated the Vulcans by a 4-0 final.
Scouting Cal
Cal enters play at 2-2-1 on the year after battling to a scoreless draw with Shippensburg at home on Wednesday night. Despite the scoreless draw, Cal finished the game with a 13-6 lead in shots and a 7-6 lead in corner kicks, but Ryan Krumenacker was up to the task for the Raiders, making three saves in the draw.
Brady Olsen leads the team in scoring with two goals, while Ben Sauerlander is first in assists with two, along with a goal for fourth points of his own. AJ Visco earned the start on Wednesday night and is 2-2 on the year with a 1.11 goals-against average. Breno Santos earned the decision a night ago, making two saves in the second half to preserve the scoreless draw.
Up Next
West Chester will jump into league play on October 1 when Millersville visits South Campus to renew its rivalry with the Golden Rams at 3:30 p.m.
