WAYNESBURG, Pa. (April 24) – The Waynesburg University men's soccer team hosted Franciscan for the final game of the 2021 season Saturday afternoon. Tied 1-1 late in the second half, the Barons scored two goals in under three minutes to put the game away for a 3-1 victory over the Yellow Jackets.
Franciscan (4-4-1, 4-4-1) struck first in the first half, getting one past senior goalkeeper
Adam Dolan (McDonald, Pa. / West Allegheny) in the 17
th minute for the 1-0 lead. Although they were unable to score in the remainder of the first half, Waynesburg (3-5-1, 3-5-1) dominated the first 45 minutes, generating eight total shots compared to Franciscan's four, and adding four corner kick opportunities while the Barons had none.
The Yellow Jackets continued to put offensive pressure on the Barons, and they finally came through in the 49
th minute. Senior midfielder Jarrett Choi (Hagerstown, Md. / Grace Academy) managed to find junior defender
Ryan McCann (Runcorn, England / Moon (Pa.)) in open space about 25 yards out from the goal, and McCann found the back-left corner of the net to tie things up at 1-1. Choi's helper and McCann's goal were both their first of the year, respectively.
Over the next 25 minutes, both teams generated multiple scoring opportunities, but neither found the back of the net until the 74
th minute, when Franciscan took the lead with its second goal of the game off a rebound.
Just about two minutes later, Franciscan struck again with its third and final goal of the evening. The Yellow Jackets were unable to find the back of the net over the remainder of the contest, bringing the game to its 3-1 final.
Outside of McCann's goal, senior forward
Daniel Hott (Cumberland, Md. / Fort Hill) paced the team in offensive opportunities, generating four shots, two of which were on net. Choi also added two shots, both of which were on frame. Dolan made five saves in the complete-game effort.
As a team, Waynesburg had 16 total shots, eight of which were on frame. The Yellow Jackets also had six corner kick opportunities compared to Franciscan's four.