ERIE, Pa. – Senior
Billy Colton found the back of the net twice Saturday afternoon to lift the Mercyhurst College men's soccer team to a 2-0 win against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference foe Bloomsburg University.
The win snaps a two-game skid in which the Lakers fell to East Stroudsburg University and California University of Pennsylvania. The conference win gives the Lakers three points in the standings placing them tied for fifth among the field of 10. The men currently hold a 3-2-0 PSAC record while boasting their overall record to 9-3-0. The Huskies drop to 3-6-1 overall and 3-3-1 in the PSAC.
Junior keeper
Diego Gustin set the standard high from the start of the match after making a thrilling save just ten minutes into the match. Diego made a save which sent him to the ground, Bloomsburg player Fran Miller rebounded the ball rifling it back at the goal just to watch Gustin swat the ball out of harm's way.
Mercyhurst maintained possession for the majority of the first half tallying 13 shots compared to Bloomsburg's six. The 'Hurst also held a slight advantage in corner kicks, 3-2.
After some back-and-forth action in the second period the Lakers notched the first goal of the game when Colton raced toward a corner kick from graduate student
Oliver Gage and headed it past the Husky keeper for his eighth goal of the season.
Mercyhurst struck again 10 minutes later when Colton dribbled through two defenders chipping the ball over the goalie and into the back of the net. The goal marks Colton's ninth of the season giving him 53 in his career. That places him three back from tying Mike Blythe's all-time record of 56.
The Lakers posted their fourth shutout of the season as Gustin made three saves in his ninth win of the season. The Lima, Peru native is 9-3-0 overall this season while attaining .761 save percentage.
The defense for the Lakers allowed just one shot in the second half, seven shots throughout the entire match.
The Lakers next contest is scheduled for Oct.14 at West Chester, Pa. Start time is set for 3:30 p.m.
