CLARION, Pa. – A pair of second half goals were the difference for the Golden Eagle soccer team on Wednesday night, as Clarion converted two chances late in the game to overcome Pitt-Johnstown 2-1 at Memorial Stadium. The Golden Eagles (2-1-0, 2-1-0 PSAC West) have won back-to-back games for the first time since October 2019, when they enjoyed a four-game unbeaten streak that included wins over Cal U, Pitt-Johnstown and Seton Hill.
 
The Mountain Cats held a 13-4 edge in total shots and a 7-2 advantage in shots on net. In many ways Pitt-Johnstown carried the action, but goalkeeper Alex Velez made six saves – several of the outstanding variety – and Clarion made the shots they did put on net count. Pitt-Johnstown took a 1-0 lead in the 23rd minute, when Morgan Kost booted a ball from the left wing past Velez into the lower righthand corner. Velez fought off a shot by Lydia Roman immediately after with a diving save to her right, preserving the narrow margin. Pitt-Johnstown continued to control the proceedings in the first half, with the Golden Eagles perhaps fortunate to enter halftime trailing only by one.
 
The tables turned in the final 45 minutes, though, as the Golden Eagles tightened up and began carrying the action to the Mountain Cats. Clarion tied up the score in the 63^rd minute, starting with a throw-in by Alexis Moyer. Kylee Cross handled the toss and chipped a pass to Alayna Wicker, who settled the ball and launched a long shot from just outside the box. The shot went just over the outstretched arms of keeper Sachi Negri, tying the game a 1-all.
 
Velez helped preserve that tie with one of her biggest saves of the night in the 70^th minute, turning away Emily Esser's free kick from just outside the box. She stopped another shot from Katelyn Rudy two minutes later as the later fired from deep on a breakaway, coming out to cut down the angle and punch the ball away.
 
Clarion broke the tie in the 81^st minute thanks in large part to an incredible individual effort by Jaci Bowser. Bowser took a lead pass from Wicker and danced her way through three defenders, firing a shot and forcing Negri to come out of the net to make a sliding save. The ball ricocheted back to Cross, who cleaned up the rebound and launched a rocket into the lower righthand corner of the net to make it 2-1.