Box Score Box Score
SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Senior midfielder Andrew Murphy (Natick, Mass. / Natick) scored two goals on Wednesday evening, lifting Susquehanna men's soccer to a 2-1 non-conference win over Gettysburg.
The pair of scores gives Murphy seven for the season and 19 goals for his career, moving into sole possession of ninth place all-time.
The senior's first goal occurred in the 14th minute as classmate Dean Hristopoulos (West Chester, Pa. / Unionville) curled a set piece pass from 25 yards out, finding Murphy's head and handing the Crusaders an early 1-0 advantage.
SU (8-4-1) outshot the Bullets 9-3 in the opening period and Gettysburg attempted three corners to none for the Crusaders.
In the second half, Murphy struck again on another set piece, as junior midfielder David Trank (Mendham, N.J. / West Morris Mendham) lifted a corner kick into the box and Murphy flicked the ball with a header past the goalkeeper's hands to stretch the SU lead to 2-0.
The Bullets (2-8-1) were resilient, however, and countered with a direct kick score of their own, off the boot of Andrew Bellis from 18 yards out to trim the Crusader lead to 2-1.
SU would hang on for the non-conference win as senior Matt Salsman (Selinsgrove, Pa. / Selinsgrove Area) made several key saves in the final minutes. Salsman would finish the evening with seven saves, recording six in the second half.
Murphy led the Crusader attack with a game-high six shots, four being on goal. Hristopoulos and Trank each fired three shots as SU outshot the Bullets by an 18-10 margin.
The win is only the second against Gettysburg for SU under Jim Findlay, as the Crusaders broke a 19-match losing streak to the Bullets back in 2011 with Murphy accounting for the game's lone goal. Gettysburg holds a 6-30-5 record in the series dating back to 1960.
The Crusaders head to Scranton on Saturday for a crucial Landmark Conference match at 3:30 p.m.
