MILLERSVILLE, Pa. –
Marcus Torgersson netted the game-winning goal just over a minute and a half into overtime, as the East Stroudsburg University men's soccer team came away with a 1-0 victory at Millersville on Wednesday night.
The victory propelled ESU to 10-4-3 overall on the year and 6-4-1 in PSAC East play. The Warriors jumped ahead of Lock Haven for the third spot in the PSAC East standings with just one game remaining in the regular season. With a loss by Lock Haven on Friday, or a win from ESU on Saturday, the Warriors would clinch a spot in the PSAC Tournament.
In a match that was a defensive battle for the majority of the night, ESU held a 7-4 overall shot advantage, while both teams fired a pair of shots on target. Goalkeeper
Evan Miele recorded his ninth victory and sixth shutout of the year in net.
ESU's best scoring opportunity of the first half came midway through the stanza as
Michael Tolley received a nice thru ball and went in one-on-one with goalie Darian McCauley. Tolley attempted a shot to the right of McCauley, but was turned away as the net minder came charging out and made a sliding save to keep the game scoreless.
The Warriors outshot Millersville by a 4-3 margin in the opening half, and Miele made two saves in goal to keep the Marauders off the board.
The ESU defense continued its strong play throughout the second half, holding Millersville to just one shot in the frame. The Warriors registered only two shots of their own in the second half, with neither team registering one on target.
Early in the overtime period,
Erik Cardoso drew a foul near the midfield line. Cardoso booted a long ball off the free kick towards the top of the box, where Torgersson won a header and redirected it inside the box.
Bradley Turocy got up and in the air and sent a header back to Torgersson, who beat his defender on the left side. Torgersson slotted a low lefty shot past McCauley and into the back of the net for the game-winning score. The goal was Torgersson's sixth of the season, good for second-most on the team.
With the win ESU sits one point ahead of Lock Haven for the third spot in the PSAC East, as the Warriors now control their own destiny in the playoff push.
ESU returns home to face Shepherd on Senior Day this Saturday (Nov. 9), with action beginning at 11:00 a.m. from Eiler-Martin Stadium.
