Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Freshman Patrick Santini (Old Greenwich, Conn./Greenwich) scored the game-winning goal in the 73rd minute as the Gettysburg College men's soccer team captured its home opener, edging Neumann University 3-2 in non-conference action on a muggy night at Clark Field Friday evening.
 
The Bullets (2-0) won for the second straight to start the season and are 2-0 for the first time since 2009.
 
It was the first night of the Gettysburg/Messiah Invitational, with Messiah hosting and defeating the University of Redlands 4-0. The Bullets will host Redlands Saturday at 7 p.m. while Messiah will take on Neumann.
 
Santini took a feed from senior Christian Pyros (Shavertown, Pa./Dallas) and, in transition, lifted a shot over on oncoming goalie from the top-right side of the box to break a 2-2 tie. It was the first career goal for Santini.
 
The defense made the lead stand up for the Bullets, holding the Knights to just one shot the rest of the way.
 
Neither team scored over the opening 22 minutes, with sophomore goalie Peter Como (Wilton, Conn./Wilton) swatting away a header following a corner in the 13th minute. But the two sides would then combine for a three-goal flurry over a four-minute span. Evan Fahey put Neumann (0-3) on the scoreboard in the 23rd minute, picking off a goal kick before firing off a shot from the right wing. Diving to his right, Como got a fingertip on the ball before it rolled into the back of the net.
 
The Bullets were quick to strike back, however. Just 26 seconds later, freshman Baki Bawa (Rye, N.Y./Millbrook School) flipped a short pass to sophomore Henry Smith (Farmington, Conn./Farmington), who from the left side drilled a shot that bounced off the right post and into the net before Neumann goalie Tim Glaccum could retrieve it.
 
Gettysburg took its first lead of the night in the 27th minute immediately following a Neumann yellow card. Taking a free kick, senior Kyle Franks (Medford, Shawnee) found a cutting Mark Yearick (Maplewood, N.J./Maplewood), who from the left wing headed in his first career goal to make it 2-1. The Bullets yielded just one shot over the remainder of the half.
 
Neumann pulled even again in the 54th minute, when Andrew Kelly headed home a cross from Ian Hunter following a free kick.
 
After Santini's heroics, Como helped ice the victory when he knocked away a dangerous cross in the final minute.
 
Como and Glaccum were each credited with one save. The Bullets outshot the Knights 10-8 and held an 8-6 advantage in corner kicks.