NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - The Westminster College men's soccer team shut out Thiel, 4-0, Wednesday night in a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) match at Harold Burry Stadium.
The Titans improve to 10-4 on the season and 2-0 in the PAC while the Tomcats drop to 4-10-1 and 0-4 in the league.
The deciding goal was an own goal when a Thiel player attempted to clear a Westminster crossing pass and buried it his own goal.
Junior Jarred Smeltzer (Wilmerding, Pa./East Allegheny) scored in the 69th minute and senior midfielder Garrett Horvath (Southlake, Texas/Southlake Carroll) scored the game's final two goals in the final five minutes.
Horvath scored his ninth and 10th goals of the season, the first on a corner from freshman Coty Hainsey (New Paris, Pa./Chestnut Ridge). Horvath later scored on a penalty kick. He now has 29 career goals.
Smeltzer scored on a laid off shot from junior forward Brice Lott (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum).
The Titans held a 24-13 shot advantage. Sophomore goalkeeper Mike Codita (Sewickley, Pa./Quaker Valley) made four saves for his second shutout of the season.
Westminster returns to action Friday when it hosts Washington & Jefferson at 6 p.m.
About Westminster College...
Founded in 1852 and related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Westminster College is ranked 15th among liberal arts colleges, according to the Washington Monthly 2007 Annual College Guide. Westminster is a national leader in graduation rate performance, according to U.S. News Guide to America's Best Colleges, and is one of the most affordable national liberal arts colleges in Pennsylvania. Westminster is also honored as one of "The Best 368 Colleges" and "Best in the Northeast" by The Princeton Review, and was recognized by the Templeton Guide as a "Character Building College."
Nearly 1,600 undergraduate and graduate students benefit from individualized attention from dedicated faculty while choosing from 41 majors and nearly 100 organizations on the New Wilmington, Pa., campus.
