Second of two parts
October 18: Away vs. Gwynedd Mercy University
Marywood went back on the road to play the Gwynedd Mercy University Griffins. Coming off their first win, the Pacers tried to build up momentum for the remainder of the season. Marywood struck first when Jayce Wilson assisted Danny Gomez on a deep pass. The Pacers had multiple opportunities to extend their lead, but Griffins’ goalkeeper John Wagner stopped all their shots, finishing the first period with six saves. Alex Russo finished with two stops for the Pacers.
After the short break, the Griffins responded to even the match. Seconds later, Gwynedd Mercy had an opening to score yet again, but Russo got a hand on it. Wagner’s dominance continued in the second half, as he prevented five Pacers goals. In the 66th minute, freshman Nolan Kozera shattered the tie to give Marywood the upper hand. With time a factor, the Griffins had one last chance to balance the score. In the 89th minute, Cole Costello scored off a corner kick from Braedon Kehan. The match ended in a 2-2 draw.
October 21: Home vs. Marymount University
The Pacers came back to home turf with a record of 6-8-1 and a conference mark of 1-2-1. They faced the Marymount University Saints, a team that beat Marywood in their last four meetings. The match started slowly with neither side pulling away. The Saints struck first, scoring in the 43rd minute. The Pacers entered the intermission down by one goal.
Working from behind, the Pacers cashed in an early scoring opportunity. Gomez drilled a goal from Matt Laudenslager’s pass, his fifth of the year. Minutes later, Gomez had a chance to take the lead but the Saints’ goalkeeper stopped the attempt. The Saints took four shots on goal within a two minute period but Russo stopped every try. After this, the match was a standstill and ended in a 1-1 draw. Russo put in the work as he recorded 10 saves in 90 minutes of play.
October 25: Home vs. Immaculata University
The Pacers hosted Immaculata University in their final regular season game. That contest was also senior day, and the team honored all seniors before the match. This year’s seniors were Russo, Jordan Pattavina-Arroyo, and Trey Watson. In the 11th minute, the Mighty Macs lined up for a penalty kick but the Pacers shut them down. The match was scoreless at the break.
A lot was on the line for this match, with the winner gaining a better placement in the Atlantic East Conference playoffs. Similar to the first half, neither team could start up the offense. The first goal wouldn’t be tallied until the 82nd minute. Kozera received a pass from Jack Forbes and fired a shot into the left corner. The Pacers held off the Mighty Macs for eight more minutes and came away with the victory, earning the third seed for the playoffs.
October 28: Atlantic East Conference Playoffs: #3 Marywood vs. #6 Gwynedd Mercy
This marked the first time Marywood hosted an Atlantic East Conference postseason game since joining the circuit in 2018. Also, it was the first men’s soccer playoff game played on the Pacers’ turf since 2015. The Pacers looked to get their first playoff win in eight years as they faced Gwynedd Mercy. The first half had multiple opportunities for Marywood to score but they had nothing to show for it. They took nine shots, with three on net.
After a scoreless first half, the Pacers took control in the second. Freshman Hayden Slater scored his first career goal in the biggest moment of the season. He was assisted by freshman Alex Visha. The scoring wasn’t finished, as Visha scored a goal of his own on a Kyle Falcon pass. The Griffins had to work fast as the clock was now against them. Marywood was able to stop the Griffins’ attack and scored once more, this time by Gomez. The Pacers won 3-0 and moved to the AEC semifinal.
October 31: Atlantic East Conference Playoffs: #3 Marywood vs. #2 Cabrini University
On Halloween night, the Pacers went on the road to face Cabrini University in the semifinals of the AEC Playoffs. Marywood looked to repeat history as they defeated Carbini 3-0 earlier this season and also eight years ago in their last playoff win.The first period was not the ideal start for the Pacers. They committed nine fouls and let through a goal. The Pacers’ offense recorded only two shots.
The Pacers now had to work from behind to keep their season alive. Marywood’s struggles continued as the team only had one shot in a 35-minute timeframe. Russo kept his team in the game by denying two goals. He would let one through in the 78th minute to give the Cavaliers a 2-0 advantage. Falcon scored for the Pacers in the final minutes. With limited time, Marywood couldn’t tie it up. The Pacers’ season ended on a 2-1 loss in the AEC semifinals.
For the season:
Marywood finished the season 8-9-2 and 2-2-2 in conference play. Gomez was the scoring champ for the Pacers with six goals. Falcon was right behind him with five. Russo had his best year with a career high 51 saves and games started with 17.
All statistics are from MarywoodPacers.com as of November 6
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