WEST CHESTER, Pa.- After celebrating its senior class with its first home victory of the season on Saturday afternoon, the West Chester University men's soccer team (3-2-1) looks to open league play with a win on Wednesday afternoon when Millersville (3-2-2) visits Rockwell Field for a 3:30 p.m. start.
West Chester vs Millersville
Game Details: Wednesday, October 1 I 3:30 P.M.
Location: Rockwell Field (West Chester, Pa.)
Series: 28-25-6
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Last Time Out
West Chester found itself trailing by a goal at the half on Saturday against California (Pa.), but scored three unanswered in the second half and dominated possession down the stretch to post a 3-1 Senior Day victory over the Vulcans.
Dillon Barbieri (Souderton, Pa./Souderton) scored the tying goal in the 48
th minute before
Ian Alicea (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Lower Moreland) gave West Chester a 2-1 lead with his first goal of the season, a header, off a
Michael Regan (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) corner.
Maksym Komperda (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) scored his fifth goal of the season and fifth in four games in the 71
st minute to give West Chester a comfortable 3-1 lead with under 20 minutes to play.
West Chester ended the game with a 24-3 lead in shots, an 11-2 lead in shots on goal, and a 7-1 lead in corner kicks.
Flock Talk
Komperda leads the Golden Rams in scoring with five goals and one assist for 11 points on the year, while
Owen Slack (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) is second with two goals and two assists for six points on the year.
Dillon Barbieri (Souderton, Pa./Souderton) and
Peter Tichy (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) are tied for third on the team in scoring with four points each, as Barbieri has two goals, while Tichy has one goal and two assists.
Komperda enters Wednesday tied for first in the league in goals, while his 11 points are tied for second best in the PSAC.
In goal,
Jaden Howard (Townsend, Del./Middletown) is 2-2-1 on the year with a 2.20 goals-against average and 19 saves in 450 minutes of work.
Hot Streak
Komperda has scored a goal in each of the last four games, including his two-goal effort at Southern Connecticut State on September 13th, and now has five goals and one assist for 11 points on the season.
Home Sweet Home
West Chester heads into Wednesday 1-1-1 on the year at home after earning its first home victory over Cal by a 3-1 final on Saturday afternoon. The Golden Rams play their second home game in a row on Wednesday before heading out on the road for two straight night games at Bloomsburg and East Stroudsburg on October 4 and 8. West Chester will return home on the 11
th to take on Shepherd beginning at 1 p.m. for its second home game of the month.
The Rivalry
West Chester holds a slim 28-25-6 lead in the all-time series against Millersville after splitting the regular season series a year ago. West Chester added a draw to the ledger against Millersville last November in the PSAC Tournament before advancing past the Marauders 5-4 on PKs. The rivalry has only grown more intense in recent years, as West Chester and Millersville have faced off numerous times in the PSAC Tournament, including the Quarterfinals last November and the PSAC Championship game in 2023.
Scouting Millersville
Millersville heads into the conference opener at 3-2-2 on the year after dismantling Holy Family by a 6-0 final in Philadelphia on Friday afternoon. The Marauders opened the year with a 1-0 win over Salem before falling into a stretch, during which the team went just 1-2-2, with losses to Seton Hill and Wilmington, draws against Ashland and Georgian Court, and the lone win coming by a 3-0 final over Lock Haven on September 20.
Slotted second in the PSAC East Preseason coaches poll, Millersville will look to catch fire in league play to ensure its 65
th season finishes in the postseason. The ever-dangerous Richy Valverde completed his time as a Marauder last year; however, Roy Parkyn has done an excellent job carrying the load in his absence, scoring five goals on 12 shots on goal for 10 points in the year. While Parkyn is tied with Komperda for the league lead in goals, Zander Leik and Matias Schmidt have also shown themselves to be dangerous options off the bench for veteran head coach Steve Widdowson's Marauders, scoring three and two goals with an assist each for seven and five points, respectively.
Gavin Massimi is 3-0-1 in goal on the year with a 0.25 goals-against average and 16 saves. Kieran Finegan saw time early in the season but is 0-2-1 with a 1.98 goals-against average in his four games and three starts.
Up Next
West Chester will be back in action on Saturday evening at Bloomsburg, beginning at 6 p.m.
