EDINBORO, Pa. --- The fifth-seeded Golden Eagles soccer team continued to make history in 2025, winning their first postseason game in program history by beating fourth-seeded Edinboro 1-0 in the opening round of the 2025 PSAC Tournament. The win was not just the first ever conference tournament win for the Golden Eagles, but also the first time Clarion had ever beaten the Fighting Scots at Sox Harrison Stadium.
In the team's first PSAC tournament game in program history, the Golden Eagles played as if they had nothing to lose. They opened the game by putting pressure on the Fighting Scots' defense with multiple
shots on goal.
Ciara DiMauro and
Nathalie Twigg set the pace for the first half on offense with two of the opening shots.
Both teams went back and forth, exchanging scoring opportunities with
Sage Sherk being a wall in the net. Then, in the 28th minute of the game, Clarion was on another attack and forced a corner kick.
Marisa Colondrillo took the corner and sent it into the box, where
Leah Deal was in the right spot to head the ball into the net for the game's only score.
The Golden Eagles kept putting more shots on Edinboro's goalkeeper for the remainder of the half but couldn't convert. Late in the first half, an altercation occurred between a player from each team, and both were subsequently ejected from the game. Both Clarion and Edinboro had to play the rest of the game with 10 players on the field. With both teams stalling out, the halftime score was 1-0 in favor of Clarion.
The second half was a different story for the Golden Eagles, as the defense was the main highlight. Early on, the offense attempted to break through the Edinboro defense but was unable to prevail. That's when the Clarion defense stepped up. The Fighting Scots were able to secure seven corner kicks in the second half, but Sherk and the defense stood tall, keeping them scoreless.
Clarion's back line, consisting of
Hailey Dobb,
Sofia Barba, Reese Aquillio, and Twigg, kept denying Edinboro from converting inside the 18-yard box. Clarion wasn't able to get much movement toward the offensive side of the field, but
Paige Brewer and DiMauro kept the Fighting Scots' defense on notice and put up a few shots. Clarion kept Edinboro out of the net for the remainder of the game to win 1-0.
Sherk delivered a standout performance in goal, stopping eight of the ten shots she faced. DiMauro continued to drive the offense, recording seven shots with three on target, while Twigg and Colondrillo each contributed a shot of their own.
Clarion will travel to West Chester, Pa., on Tuesday for a 1 p.m. kickoff against the Golden Rams in the PSAC Quarterfinals.
