Second-Half Surge Lifts Brandywine Into PSUAC Championship

MEDIA, Pennsylvania -- Top-seeded Penn State Brandywine scored four times during the second half, including twice during the final 8:29, and defeated No. 4 Penn State Beaver 4-2 to advance to the PSUAC Men's Soccer Tournament championship match.

Brandywine, which claimed its first conference title since 1989 last season, will look to claim its second-straight league crown after winning its 14-consecutive match against PSUAC competition on Saturday night. The Lions will face second-seeded York at 7:00 pm on Wednesday at University Park with an automatic bid to the USCAA Tournament on the line.

The Lions trailed 1-0 at halftime, but quickly tied the match 5:51 into the second half as sophomore Manny Weldemicael (Philadelphia, Pa./Wyoming Park) converted a penalty kick for the equalizer.

Senior Brad Jule (Chadds Ford, Pa./Salesianum) gave Brandywine its first lead of the game during the 64th minute after his long blast from 30 yards out deflected off a Beaver defender and over goalkeeper Matt Cottage's head and into the back of the net.

After Beaver knotted the score 2-2 on Marcus Smith's goal, Brandywine jumped back into the lead for good when Bill Walleekendeh (Chester, Pa./Chester) took senior Sam Houlette's (Chester Springs, Pa./Salesianum) pass and slammed a shot into the lower right corner of the cage.

With under four minutes remaining, senior Frenc Baro (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) tacked on an insurance goal when he dribbled through a pair of defenders and fired a shot into the right corner of the cage.

Brandywine received stellar goalkeeping from freshman Patrick O'Neill (Morton, Pa./Ridley), who thrwarted a pair of Beaver breakaway opportunities. O'Neill denied Nidal Qaddumi on a one-on-one scoring opportunity during the first half and then stopped a pair of shots off the foot of Smith with the game tied 1-1 during the 58th minute. He blocked four shots overall.

Cottage made three saves for Beaver, which was outshot 7-6.