Manful Scores Four; Brandywine Knocks Off Lehigh Valley

ASTON, Pa. -- In a rematch of last year's Penn State University Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Championship game, Penn State Brandywine once again came out on top against Penn State Lehigh Valley, this time by a 5-0 score, Saturday afternoon at Maple Zone.

Brandywine, which won its fifth-straight league title in overtime by a 1-0 count last November, received four goals from the conference's leading scorer, Chris Manful (Baltimore, Md./Woodlawn).

Manful scored just minutes into the first half on a tap in goal thanks to a cross from Liam Pheiffer (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) to give the Lions a 1-0 lead. Francis Sarpong (Germantown, Md./Northwest) found Manful in front of the cage once again and he tallied his second marker of the game at the 32:14 mark.

Brandywine's quick-strike offense wasted no time in putting a third goal on the board as immediately following the tap, Zack Bardwell (Boothwyn, Pa./Chichester) stole the ball from a defender and drove in his seventh goal of the season 13 seconds later.

The Lions held their three-goal margin entering the half before adding a pair of second half scores, both from Manful. He knocked in Lex Smith's (Centreville, Va./ASU Preparatory Academy) cross following a free kick from Kyle Reuter (York, Pa./Dallastown Area) and completed the scoring during the 64th minute with a penalty kick.

Brandywine's defense notched its sixth shutout in 10 matches this season. The Lions allowed just one shot on goal, which netminder Elijah DeBooth (West Lawn, Pa./Wilson) easily turned aside, and just three shot attempts total. Brandywine put eight of its 10 shot attempts on net.

Brandywine (8-0-2, 3-0 PSUAC) continues conference play Monday at Penn State Scranton at 4:00 PM.