Box Score

SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Two goals from Joe DeLuca (Freehold, N.J./St. John Vianney) helped lead the Susquehanna men's soccer team to a 2-1 home victory over St. Joseph's (Long Island) on Saturday evening.

The teams combined for 43 shots with SU (1-1) accounting for 27 of those shots. The Crusader defense limited the Eagles (0-2) to just four second-half shots and just five shots on goal over the entire 90 minutes of play.

DeLuca finished with four shots and two goals while David Trank (Mendham, N.J./West Morris Mendham) added two shots and one of the team's two assists in the game.

DeLuca netted the game's first – and season's first – goal after just 2:49 of play when he knocked in a rebound off a John Boylan (Hazlet, N.J./St. John Vianney) shot just seconds earlier.

Both sides had more than a handful of scoring opportunities in the opening period, one that saw a combined four of the game's six yellow cards, as St. Joseph's took 12 shots in the half and SU 13. Just two of the Eagles' shots were on goal, however, while the Crusaders put more than half their shots on goal.

It stood 1-0 at the midway point before Susquehanna tacked on an insurance goal 10 minutes into the second half when DeLuca netted his second goal of the afternoon, a header off a cross from Trank on the far side of the field.

Turns out that insurance goal was needed as St. Joseph's scored with less than 12 minutes remaining to again make it a one-goal game at 2-1.

Fortunately Susquehanna's defense made sure that one-goal lead stood up as the team held on for the win to end the weekend on a high note.

SU goalie Matt Salsman (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove Area) finished with four saves in his 90 minutes of work.

The Crusaders take to the road on Sept. 3 to face Lycoming in the annual Battle of the Boot game. Susquehanna won the Boot last year in a 4-0 home victory.