Box Score
CLARKS SUMMIT, PA - It was a coming out party for the men's soccer team Saturday afternoon - in more ways than one. What a time to throw a party.
The Crimson Eagles' contest against Baptist Bible College this weekend held much significance on several different levels.
For starters, heading into Saturday's match PBU had yet to find the winning column so far this year. Moreover, the highly anticipated match-up featured two long-time rivals clashing in an early season brawl.
To top things off, it was PBU's official welcoming into the Colonial States Athletic Conference, as Saturday's events marked the team's first ever contest within CSAC play. So to say there was a lot riding on this game may have been somewhat of a vast understatement.
Thankfully, PBU responded to the pressure by playing their best ball to-date this season. The Crimson Eagles ran around, past, and through the Baptist Bible, blitzing the host squad by a final score of 7-2.
"It's almost like our first three games of the year were just preseason matches, preparing us for today," said head coach Clay Roberts. "I thought we played much better as a unit today. We're really starting to come into our roles, and I think guys are finally starting to figure out the new system they're playing under."
But Saturday's game was more than just a coming out party for the PBU soccer team as a whole. Jonathan Waszaj scored not only the first goal of his three-year career in the contest, but the senior defender also notched his second and third career scores on the afternoon as well.
Almost incredibly, the two-time NCCAA II All-American needed only four total shots to bag the hat-trick, finding dead-on accuracy throughout the day. Waszaj's effort marks the first time a men’s soccer player has recorded three goals in a solo game since NCAA All-American Derek Mosely achieved the task against Arcadia University almost a full year ago.
Rookie forward Justin Hays joined Waszaj in the multiple-goal scoring chart, netting the first two goals of his collegiate career in the win. Senior captain Jeremy Dunham and junior midfielder Jake Miller rounded out the scoring column, each dropping in a solo goal.
The visitors held a distinct advantage in total shots for the game, firing 22 overall to the Defenders’ six. PBU also held a 4-1 edge in corners taken.
“I was very pleased with how organized we were out on the field today,” noted Roberts. “We definitely played with more confidence, which we’ll need to build on for future games. I thought the leaders of our team really played solid, all the way from the back line to up front.”
The Crimson Eagles improve to 1-3 (1-0 CSAC) on the year with the win, while Baptist Bible slips to 1-5 (0-2 CSAC).
The soccer team will continue on a three game road trip this Tuesday when the squad takes on Arcadia University. Match time is 4:00 pm.
