WEST CHESTER, Pa.- Unbeaten in its last three games, including a pair of wins, which led to the Golden Rams clinching a PSAC Tournament berth on Saturday, the West Chester University men's soccer team (6-4-4) is set to play its final regular-season home game of the season on Wednesday afternoon as Lackawanna (1-8-5) makes its first visit to Rockwell Field. Kickoff against the Falcons is set for 2 p.m.
West Chester vs. Lackawanna
Game Details: October 21 – 2 p.m. I Rockwell Field (West Chester, Pa.)
Series: 1-0
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Five Things to Know
- West Chester punched its ticket back to the PSAC Tournament on Saturday afternoon with a 3-0 win over Shippensburg on Rockwell Field as the Golden Rams notched their second win and third shutout in as many games. Joseph Maxwell (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy), Joshua Rick (Berwyn, Pa./Devon Prep), and Maksym Komperda (Whitehall, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) scored the goals for West Chester, and Jaden Howard (Townsend, Del./Middletown) made eight saves for his seventh shutout of the season. This win also gave head coach Michael Benn his 150th victory as a collegiate head coach and his 140th at the helm of the Golden Rams.
- With his goal on Saturday afternoon, Komperda extended his lead atop the team scoring chart as he now has five goals and an assist for 11 points on the year. Peter Tichy (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) picked up an assist on Saturday and is second on the team in scoring with three goals and three assists for nine points. In goal, Howard is 6-3-3 with a 0.72 goals-against average and seven shutouts, including a mark of 5-3-1 in league action with six shutouts and a 0.56 goals-against average in such games. Howard's efforts last week, which included shutout wins over both East Stroudsburg and Shippensburg earned the senior keeper PSAC East Defensive Player of the Week honors for the second time this season.
- This week is a brief break from the chase for a PSAC Eastern Division title as the Golden Rams game against Lackawanna on Wednesday does not yet count toward Eastern Division standings or NCAA Tournament selection as the Falcons are in the process of applying for Division II membership. Saturday's game will be the final non-league matchup of the season as West Chester visits the College of Staten Island for a non-league clash at 2:30. This game was a late add to the schedule as a result of the season opener against Jefferson being postponed and later canceled due to inclement weather.
- Lackawanna enters play on Wednesday at 1-8-5 on the season, including a mark of 0-6-4 against PSAC East competition following a 6-0 loss to Shepherd, which halted a four-game unbeaten streak as the Falcons had defeated Pitt-Johnstown by a 1-0 final and played to draws against East Stroudsburg (1-1), Shippensburg (1-1), and Bloomsburg (0-0). Miguel Pereira has two goals on the year, including the game-winner over UPJ for four points, while Malik Salau has a goal and an assist for three points. In goal, Rowin Thomas started early in the season and is 0-6-1 with a 2.49 goals-against average, while Kevin Nievas is 1-2-4 with a 1.39 goals-against average and a pair of shutouts in nine games.
- West Chester will face Lackawanna for the second time in program history on Wednesday afternoon on Rockwell Field following a 3-0 win over the Falcons in Scranton earlier this season. The Golden Rams' 3-0 win remains tied for the best scoring output this season and sparked a run that has seen West Chester go 3-1-2 to clinch a PSAC Tournament appearance and sit atop the Eastern Division standings entering the final two weeks of the season.
Up Next
West Chester will play its non-league finale on Saturday afternoon on Staten Island against the College of Staten Island, beginning at 2:30 p.m., before finishing league play at Shepherd next Wednesday afternoon.
