Monica, PA. - The Penn State Greater Allegheny Soccer team (6-4-2, 3-3-2) dropped their regular season finale to Penn State Beaver on Saturday 2-1. The loss sends PSUGA towards the Penn State University Athletic Conference as they find out their seeding on Monday.
PSUGA clinched a playoff spot thanks to a forfeit by PSU-Lehigh Valley earlier in the week and were playing to try and secure the number four seed. After falling behind early, PSUGA was never able to claw their way back into the game.
Beaver took the lead in the 23rd minute when Beaver’s Danylo Yakymov put ine in the back of the net off a pass from Darrion Gilmore to make it a 1-0 game. The two teams would break for the locker room with that same 1-0 score.
Then the rains came down as a storm moved through the area causing a one hour and 46 minute lightning delay to the start of the secons half. PSUGA would take advantage of the break and tie the game up in the 57th minute when Prajal Sharma (Pittsburgh, PA./Baldwin HS) scored on a pass from Jagesh Subba (Pittsburgh, PA./Baldwin HS) to tie things up at 1-1.
It was Beaver who would get the last laugh in this one, however, when they took the lead in the 65th minute when Yakymov found the net for the second time on the day giving Beaver a 2-1 lead. They would hold on for the final 25 minutes of the game and win by that same score.
Sharma and teammate Raghu Chimoriya (Pittsburgh, PA./Baldwin HS) led PSUGA with two shots each while Sharma had the only goal of the day. Colin Bucsok (Pittsburgh, PA./Thomas Jefferson HS) got the start in net and made eight saves on 10 shots on goal in 90 minutes played.
With the loss, PSUGA has to await the conclusion of this weekend's games to find out what seed they will be in this year’s PSUAC playoffs. They wont get a bye week as they did last year, but their goal is the same as last season make the PSUAC Championship game.
The PSUAC quarterfinals begin this Wednesday October 24th when PSUGA finds out if they will host as the number four seed or head on the road as the five or six seed.