ASTON, Pa. – The Neumann University men's soccer team won its third consecutive Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) match as it defeated Gwynedd Mercy University 3-0 on Tuesday afternoon.
The Knights displayed balanced scoring on the afternoon, with three different players tallying goals.
Jake McDevitt,
Daniel Rival and Jonathan Cobb all scored for Neumann. Goalie
Shane Smith registered his third consecutive shutout, making seven saves in the win.
Neumann would come out flying to start the game, playing some of the team's best soccer of the season in the opening half. The team was rewarded for its early effort in the 20
th minute, as McDevitt rammed home his seventh goal of the season off a nice feed from
Christian Cortese. Freshman
Nick Testa started the play by slipping a perfectly timed through ball to a streaking Cortese who gained the end-line and found a wide open McDevitt for the goal.
The Knights would continue pressing forward and found a second goal just eight minutes later. Senior
Joe Martinho beat his man down the left flank and whipped in a beautiful cross to a streaking Rival, who made no mistake for his first career collegiate goal. Neumann would keep its foot on the pedal, and added a third goal in the 36
th minute. Cobb notched his second goal in as many games as he finished off an excellent ball by
Tyler Williams. The game would head to halftime with the Knights holding a 3-0 lead as well as a dominating 11-2 shot advantage.
The second half would see both teams generate chances, but neither team would find the back of the net. Despite giving up a few shots, the Neumann defense anchored by Smith achieved its third consecutive shutout. The Knights have now gone a whopping 276 minutes without conceding a goal.
Neumann (6-11, 4-4 CSAC) returns to its home field Saturday, October 29
th for its CSAC finale versus Rosemont College. With a win, the Knights will clinch a spot in the CSAC playoffs. The team will also be honoring its seniors prior to the game for their hard work and dedication to the program over the past four years. Kick-off for the match is scheduled for 11:00 AM