McKeesport, PA. - The Penn State Greater Allegheny soccer team's (2-9-1, 1-6-1) seniors shined on senior recognition day leading their team to a 3-2 overtime victory over Penn State Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. Both of PSUGA's seniors scored at least one goal in the game as the team picked up its first Conference win on the final day of the regular season.
With PSUGA trailing 2-1 and 17 minutes left on the clock, Leela Nepal (Pittsburgh, PA./Baldwin HS) tied the game with his first goal of the season bringing things even at 2-2. Nepal took a pass from Namy Makiese (Pittsburgh, PA./Allderdice HS) and sent it into the bottom of the net, sending the game to overtime.
It did not take long for PSUGA to end this one when senior Dario Marina (Pittsburgh, PA./Baldwin HS) scored his second goal of the day in the first minute of overtime to lift PSUGA to a 3-2 win. Marina found a hole in the Wilkes-Barre defense and made them pay beating the keeper and ending his career on a positive note.
PSUGA did not have many offensive chances early, but the defense, led by freshman goalkeeper Hunter Huber (West Mifflin, PA./West Mifflin HS), held strong and headed into halftime with the score still tied at zero. Huber entered the game with 20 minutes to go before halftime and kept Wilkes Barre's offense at bay.
As the second half rolled around, Marina would get his team on the board taking a pass from Justin Kindig (Harrisburg, PA./Central Dauphin HS) and found the net 10 minutes into the second half. Penn State Wilkes-Barre's Aiyman Alsibae would add two goals accounting for all of his team's offense.
With his two goals on Saturday, second year captain Marina ended the season with a career-high 6 goals leading PSUGA. He served as the team's starting center back and came up the field on offensive opportunities.
Nepal scored his second career goal, and ended an impressive career mostly on the defensive side of the ball. Nepal earned one Penn State University Athletic Conference all-conference award in his career in 2017. He has been a key part of the soccer team that made the playoffs in five of the last six seasons.
PSUGA ends the 2019 season on a positive note finishing the year 1-6-1 in conference play and heads into the offseason with momentum on its side. With many up and coming young talented players returning for the 2020 season, PSUGA has a lot to look forward to for years to come.