Box Score

Millersville, Pa. — Backed by another strong defensive effort, the fourth-ranked Millersville men's soccer team shutout visiting Wheeling Jesuit, 2-0, at Chryst Field on Saturday afternoon.

Neither team found the back of the net in the opening half. On a chilly and blustery day, the Marauders (11-1) could not take advantage of having the wind at their backs for the first 45 minutes. The home team fired four shots (three on goal) in the stanza, but Shane Young, the Wheeling Jesuit (7-4-1) keeper, made three saves to keep the game scoreless.

Millersville controlled much of the play, despite having no goals to show for it. That changed in the 48th minute when Kyle Loughlin scored his team-leading ninth goal of the season off a beautiful throw-in from Ethan Daubert. The sophomore's throw was perfectly placed and Young had no chance at Loughlin's header, which gave the Black and Gold a 1-0 edge.

Anthony Pagnotti gave the Marauders a 2-0 lead at 73:16 on goal that had the Jesuit players and coaching staff up in arms. Pat Baffuto threaded a ball through the defense that found the feet of Pagnotti. Wheeling Jesuit players, arguing that the play was offsides, stopped defending and Pagnotti dribbled past Young, easily depositing his third goal of the season into an empty net.

That was all the offense Millersville needed. The Marauders blanked an opponent for the ninth time this season, pulling the 2009 squad within one shutout of the all-time Millersville record of 10, set by the 2002 team.

More remarkably, Millersville's backline of  Thomas Bargmann, John Claffey, Jeremy Yoder, and Adam Keller aided in not allowing an opposing shot on goal for the second time this season. Jesuit took three shots, but the closest Matt Langione came to making a save was corralling a blocked shot off the foot of Nik Balzer at 53:05. The Marauders also held East Stroudsburg without a shot on goal back on Sept. 2.

Millersville, which wrapped up its second consecutive PSAC Eastern Division title last Tuesday, now gets set for a non-conference tilt at the University of the District of Columbia this Tuesday at 4 p.m. The Marauders return home on Friday, October 16, for their final regular season home game of 2009. MU will host West Chester that night and all fans are encouraged to wear black as part of Millersville's "BLACKOUT" promotion. Game time for next Friday's game is 5 p.m.