Penn College secured a place in the United East men’s soccer semifinals after defeating Notre Dame of Maryland 1-0 in Baltimore on Saturday. The Wildcats, now holding a 10-6-2 record, will face top-seeded St. Mary’s in the semifinals on Wednesday. This marks Penn College’s third appearance in the United East semifinals, having previously reached this stage in 2017 and 2018.
The match was characterized by strong defensive play from Sean McGroarty, Elliott Rattiram, Will Watson, and Zach Foskey. They were supported by midfielder Cooper Smith along with Silas Miller, Diego Diaz, and Mason Kostick. Together, they limited Notre Dame to only two shots during the game, neither of which were on target.
After a goalless first half where Cooper Smith and Logan Pietrzak had their attempts saved, Penn College continued to press offensively in the second half. Attempts from Diego Diaz and Joshua Hudak were also stopped before Penn College earned a penalty kick following a foul inside the box. Scott Goldfeder successfully converted the penalty for what would be the decisive goal.
Penn College outshot Notre Dame 12-2 overall (5-0 on-goal) and held a 6-3 advantage in corner kicks.
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