ERIE, Pa. - Senior
Richard Vanhorne scored twice and graduate student goalkeeper
Daniel Lowton stopped all six shots he faced as the Mercyhurst University men's soccer team kept its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) regular season title hopes alive with a 3-0 victory over visiting Seton Hill on a windy and rainy Wednesday afternoon. The Lakers improved to 8-7-1 overall and moved to 8-1-1 in the conference standings. The Griffins dropped to 5-11-1 overall and 3-7 in league action.
After a scoreless first half during which both teams were getting accustomed to the less-than-ideal playing conditions, graduate student
Thom Derks put the Lakers on the scoreboard in the 58th minute, beating Seton Hill goalkeeper Cameron Evans for his third goal of the season.
Vanhorne, who has battled through injuries this season after being named an All-PSAC Second Team selection a year ago, took over from that point.
Derks sent Vanhorne racing towards the Seton Hill goal and the Jamaican did the rest, beating Evans to his right in the 74th minute for his second goal of the season. Just under five minutes later, on an identical play, senior
Sten Marcson played a ball ahead to Vanhorne who was able to out run a Seton Hill defender and beat backup goalkeeper Christian Roberts for the final goal of the afternoon.
Seton Hill held a slim 10-9 advantage in shots and held a 5-3 margin in corner kicks. But, it was the play of Lowton that proved to be the difference. He stopped all six shots he faced, five during the first half, to improve to 6-2-1 on the season. It was his fifth shutout in nine starts this season. Evans and Roberts combined to make three saves with Evans earning the loss between the pipes.
The regular season championship will come down to Saturday afternoon, October 31, when the Lakers travel to Millersville to battle the Marauders with first place on the line. Millersville enters the match with a 9-1 league record and a 13-2-1 mark overall. The winner will win the regular season title and will host the PSAC Championship on November 6 and 8. The loser will be the second seed in the tournament. Start time on Saturday is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
