SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Junior
Cole Kropnick scored twice in the first half and redshirt-junior
Matt Harder made a career-high 10 saves on Tuesday night as the Shippensburg University men's soccer team battled West Virginia Wesleyan to a 2-2 tie from David See Field.
Shippensburg (1-0-2) worked a 2-0 halftime advantage on the strength of Kropnick's third and fourth goals of the young season. In the fifth minute, Kropnick took a chest pass from junior
Patrick Luebben and chipped the ball past a drawn-out goalkeeper on a mini-breakaway. In the 41st minute, Kropnick drew a foul and sent a wicked bender from 20 yards out off a free kick into the lower right portion of the goal.
West Virginia Wesleyan (1-0-1), a squad that dispatched California (Pa.) last week on the strength of four second-half goals, came out inspired once again after the intermission. The Bobcats controlled possession throughout the frame, working a 5-1 second-half advantage in both corner kicks and shots on goal.
Harder kept the Raiders in the contest with some excellent stops, registering the first double-digit save effort of his career in his 18th collegiate contest. A diving save in the 108th minute of play was among his best on the day.
The visitors got their first goal in the 64th minute, benefiting from a slippery through ball that found the foot of Juwin Akintunde in the box. In the 71st minute, a collision in the box allowed a corner kick from Guillermo Rueda to fly straight into the near corner of the net. Wesleyan also slammed a shot clean off the post with 90 seconds remaining.
The Bobcats finished with a 12-4 advantage in shots on goal and a 10-2 advantage in corners. The teams combined for six yellow cards in a match whose start was delayed 2.5 hours due to inclement weather, ending after 9 p.m. in the evening.
The Raiders posted their first result with the Bobcats in three years. It is the fifth result for Shippensburg against West Virginia Wesleyan since the teams renewed acquaintances in 2008 (2-5-3).
Shippensburg returns to action Saturday, when it travels to Salem International for a 5 p.m. matchup with the Tigers.
