Lakewood. N.J. – Too little too late for the Georgian Court University Lions in 2022 season opener.
Facing a 3-goal deficit in the 54th the Lions attempt at a late comeback fell agonizingly short. The extended first game of the year had a delayed kick off and a 40-minute break in the first half due to lightning in the Lakewood area.
Gannon University Golden Knights, entering the day ranked #18 in the nation, improves to 1-0 after the win. Goals by Lennox Crews (Sr.-Offenbach, Germany), Sergio Del Castillio (Sr.-Madrid,Spain), Sverre Orten (Fr.-Orsta,Norway) at 21:00, 37:27, and 53:35, respectively, provided the Golden Knights a seemingly comfortable 3-0 lead in the second half.
The Lions would finally crack the scoring column at 56:49 when David Tuschmann headed home a Brandon Sogness one time pass from a Robbie Kokotajlo cross to cut the deficit in half. Brandon Sogness was not done there; the freshman forward netted the Lions second goal with an assist from senior John Christ. Christ released Sogness with a well-timed thru ball and Sogness cut inside his man and followed up with a curled left foot finish to the back post. In the final 5 seconds a Mathias Madersbacher left footed shot went narrowly wide of the post and the comeback attempt was over.
David Synstelien (Jr.-Gjovik Norway) earned the win in net for the victors with four saves over 90:00. Andres Manzano (So.-Barcelona,Spain) was the goalie-of-record for Georgian Court, collecting two saves of his own in the complete game effort.
Although the Lions Court did not come out victorious, they celebrated their seniors Friday afternoon with Senior Day. Georgian Court celebrates nine seniors this season: Jay Abraham, Rhys Cotter, Logan Romero, Jack Guiton, Tim Graczyk, Harry Messitt, John Christ, Sebastian Morales, Tiler Brown and Francisco Corral. Coach Dino Raso had this to say about this senior class "Most of this senior class has been with us through the most trying of times. They had their seasons disjointed due to COVID but it has also allowed them to extend their GCU careers and we are grateful for that! They have presided over some of the winningest times here at GCU and will be greatly missed. All of these individuals are well liked by the team, staff, and GCU community at large. Their personalities bring light to the campus and team. We have been Blessed to have them and wish them all the future success in the world."
Below is what Coach Dino had to say about each senior.
Jay Abraham - Dumfries and Galloway - Defender : Jay has been with us since his freshman year. He had to fight his way up from the development squad all the way up to his position of captain for 3 seasons now. He is well respected by his teammates and staff.
Logan Romero – Toms River, NJ - Winger: Logan is a local player that has worked his way up to starting roles and important minutes. We are hoping that his senior year will be his best yet!
Seb Moralez – Watchung, NJ - Midfielder: Seb has been a mainstay for GCU logging significant minutes with both teams. He is a hard-working athlete who continues to improve both on and off the field.
Harry Messitt – Slough, England - Midfielder: Harry has only been with GCU for a couple of years. Coming from a JUCO, he has been able to play multiple roles/positions due to his soccer IQ and versatility.
John Christ – Brick, NJ - Midfielder: One of the most well-liked players on the team. Jon has spent a lot of time with both the development and main team and has high expectations for his senior year.
Tiler Brown – Jersey City, NJ - Goalkeeper: Tiler is a hard-working individual. He has had the misfortune of playing behind many great goalkeepers at GCU but has continued to improve and make the most of his minutes.
Jack Guiton – Hemel Hempstead, England - Midfielder: Jack was a transfer that immediately made an impact and has continued to do so. He is a versatile player that is well respected by his peers.
Francisco Corral – North Plainfield, NJ – Def/Mid: Franscico, who is known by his teammates as "Chito" has logged more minutes in his than any other GCU player. We are glad to have him back for his COVID year and expect him to have another great season.
Rhys Cotter – Wigan, England - Midfielder: Rhys is a 4-year starter who has shown promise since his arrival and has continued to improve on and off the field ever since. Well liked by his teammates and is one of the engines of our midfield.
Georgian Court looks to rebound on Sunday afternoon when the Lions host Mercyhurst University at 1:00 p.m.
