Lehman, PA. – The Penn State Greater Allegheny Soccer Team (5-3-2, 3-2-2) took a tough loss on Sunday to Penn State University Athletics Conference Opponent Penn State Wilkes Barre (3-5, 3-5) 3-1. With the loss, PSUGA will not achieve the goal of being the conferences number one or number two seed and the best they can finish as is the number three seed.
PSUGA was missing two of their top players in this game and were having trouble finding their offensive groove. Their lone goal of the game came in the first half when senior Belmo Nurkic (Pittsburgh, PA./Baldwin HS) scored his team leading 9th goal of the season on a penalty kick. However, Wilkes Barre put up two first half goals and went into halftime leading 2-1.
Goalkeeper Colin Bucsok (Pittsburgh, PA./Thomas Jefferson HS) had to leave the game due to injury near the end of the first half and Nurkic had to step into net. Nurkic allowed one goal and made a team high three saves in his 20 minutes in net. Bucsok would return in net in the second half as PSUGA was looking to find a way to find a way back in this game.
However, they were unable to get anything going offensively and, after Wilkes Barre added one more goal, picked up their second conference loss of the season and their third loss overall. Bucsok finished the day making two saves on four shots on goal in 70 minutes in net. Bucsok picked up his third loss of the season and now his season record moves to 5-3-2.
PSUGA’s original goal of finishing as the number one or number two seed has evaporated, but their chances of making the PSUAC playoffs are still very much alive. However, the best they can finish in the regular season would be as the number three seed meaning they will have to play in the quarterfinal round of the PSUAC Playoffs on Wednesday October 24th if they make the tournament.
With the regular season coming down to the final week, PSUGA is still looking for that elusive win that would help them be able to clinch their fifth straight PSUAC playoff berth. Once in the tournament, it would take two wins to get them to their first PSUAC Championship game since 2015 and a shot at the program’s first ever PSUAC Championship.
Up next on the schedule for PSUGA will be a non-conference road game against Westmoreland County Community College on Tuesday. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.