Men’s Soccer Sizzles, Burns PSU Hazelton

by Paul Krzan (IST-senior) Josh Fanelli (13) defends the goal during Saturday's PSUAC opener against Penn State Hazleton.
by Paul Krzan (IST-senior) Josh Fanelli (13) defends the goal during Saturday's PSUAC opener against Penn State Hazleton.
Photos Video Box Score
September 16, 2024
By Bob Denney, Head Men's Soccer Coach
 
 
DUNMORE, Pa. - The Penn State Scranton men's soccer team hosted Penn State Hazelton in their first conference match of the season on Saturday and they got things cooking early and often, serving the visitors a 7-0 defeat.
Freshman winger Fabrice "The Flash" Gatsinzi was 'fire' from the start as he flew down the field just under five minutes into the contest and beat the PSU Hazelton goalkeeper to give the hosts a 1-0 lead. Mere moments later, fab Fabrice doubled the advantage, finishing a fine feed from frosh center midfielder Tommy Buker as the booters began to control the match.
 
The hosts continued to dominate possession halfway into the first half when first-year phenom Jack Eisele hooked up with fellow frosh Aidan Turner for the play of the game. Settling a pass just over midfield, Eisele air-mailed a beautiful ball over 30 yards in the air to a streaking Turner who ran onto the delivery and deftly deposited it in the back of the net with his head for his first collegiate goal.
Penn State Scranton was now cooking with gas and just 90 seconds later, fellow frosh phenom Amani Byirinboro buried a ball by the sprawling PSU Hazelton goalie for his primo college score and the rout was on.
Over the next fifteen minutes, two more first-year wunderkinds Emran Ahmetbeg and Piero Parravacini scored their premier college goals as senior striker turned playmaker Raphael Carvalho assisted on two scores including Gatsinzi's third goal of the match and a 'natural hat trick'.
 
All three PSU Scranton netminders, Ryan Smith, Andy Haser and Aarav Jariwala combined with defensive stalwarts Josh Fanelli, Will Nagy, Angel Magana, Hector Cabreja Rodriguez, Joseph Loran, Zach Eynon, Andres Felipe Nino, Nick Pallman, Lawson Measic, Nirajan Ghaley, Brian Nguyen, Tomas de los Rios, Cris Rosario and Adrian Sokolowski for the shutout.
 
Up next, PSUAC foe PSU York on Tuesday, Sept. 17 on the road. 
 
 
 

Lions Capture First Win in PSUAC Opener 

 

By: Ross Turetsky, Penn State Scranton Athletics

On a gorgeous Saturday afternoon in the electric city, the hometown Penn State Scranton Lions men's soccer team dominated from start to finish with their commanding 7-0 shutout victory in their crucial conference opener against local rival Penn State Hazleton. By clinching their first triumph of their young 2024 campaign, the Lions improve their overall record to 1-1-1 and are now undefeated at 1-0 in their all-important league play schedule.

Scranton got off to a hot start and never looked back, as they tallied all seven of their team goals in the first half of play. Freshman forward Fabrice Gatsinzi kicked-off the scoring barrage just 4:56 into the contest when he found the back of the net unassisted to give his club the early 1-0 advantage. Then less than three minutes later, Gatsinzi lit the lamp once again, this time assisted by fellow freshman Tommy Buker, at the 7:26 mark to extend the lead to 2-0. Just over eight minutes later, the Lions roared again when freshman Aiden Turner got one between the pipes, assisted by freshman midfielder Jack Eisele at 15:46 to stretch the advantage to 3-0. Just moments later Scranton enhanced their lead to 4-0 at 17:16 when freshman midfielder and Scranton High product Amani Byirinboro scored unassisted. Gatsinzi would complete his awe-inspiring hat trick at the 18:33 mark, when he tallied his third goal of the match, this one assisted by senior Raphael Carvalho, to make it 5-0. Nearly 11 minutes later, the Lions made it a 6-0 ball game at 29:07 when freshman forward Emran Ahmetbeg scored, assisted by Carvalho for his second helper of the day. For Scranton's seventh and final tally of the matinee, freshman midfielder Piero Parravicini scored unassisted at the 34:43 mark to give his squad the comfortable 7-0 cushion they would enjoy when the game clock hit all zeroes.

On the goalkeeping side of things, Scranton stalwart freshman net-minder Ryan Smith earned the victory between the pipes playing 45-minutes and saving both shots on goal he faced. The Lions also had freshman Dunmore native Andrew Haser see some playing time in net, as he played 38:35 in goal and stopped the trio of shots that were fired on him in the battle. Sophomore Aarav Jariwala also got some action in goal for the Lions playing 6:25 in net. Meanwhile, the road warriors from Hazleton saw Mac Kline take the loss in net, stopping seven out of the whopping nine shots on goal he faced in his 71:27 of playing time. Xavier Mallo played the other 18:33 in goal for Hazleton and saved five out of the ten shots that came his way.

Overall, Scranton out shot Hazleton in the game by a wide 28-6 margin, led in corner kicks 2-1, and fouls 3-1. Hazleton, however, led in saves by a large 13-5 clip, as Scranton dominated the action throughout.

Now head coach Robert Denney and his 1-1-1 Penn State Scranton Lions men's soccer ball club will look to make it two wins in a row in integral conference play when they go on the road to take on league foe Penn State York this Tuesday afternoon with a scheduled 4pm start time on the pitch.