Erie, Pennsylvania - For the second straight year, the Millersville men's soccer team battled to the PSAC Championship but came up just short. Devin Rediker scored his second goal of the season but a handball call in the box and a header off a corner kick were too much to overcome for Millersville as it fell to Mercyhurst 2-1 Sunday. Mercyhurst, the No. 1 seed, scored five minutes into the game via a penalty kick and added a goal in the second before Millersville responded with a goal of its own. 

The Marauders looked to strike first as Jaxson Burns had his shot blocked out of bounds for a corner kick. Devin Rediker sent a header on frame that was saved by Alex Brems. In the fifth minute, an unlucky bounce led to a handball setting up a Lakers penalty kick that Thom Derks would finish to put Meryhurst up 1-0.

Eberly and Rediker nearly evened the score on a pair of corner kicks. Rediker sent a header just high of the frame in the 20th minute and was robbed of the equalizer in the 25th when Brems tipped the ball over the crossbar. 

In the 38th minute, Burns had a pair of chances to tie the game but his first shot was blocked by the Meryhurst defense and the second was pushed just high of the net. Neither team would have another serious scoring threat before the half and the Lakers went into the break ahead 1-0.

Mercyhurst came out firing in the second half and would earn a corner in the 52nd minute. Connor Wilkinson played a ball into the box where Mark Roche sent a header home to make the Lakers lead 2-0.

Millersville immediately responded as a through ball was played from midfield that Devin Rediker took into the box and flicked the ball past the keeper to make the score 2-1. After the Jorge Gonzalez sent two shots wide of the net, the Marauders turned up the pressure looking to equalize. 

Marcus Frangakis swung the ball into the box off a corner and it bounced out to the top of the box where Dylan Fogerty would take a touch and rip a shot just high of the net. Omar Guzman and Jaxson Burns both had shots blocked by the Mercyhurst defense before the Lakers would commit a foul in the 90th minute setting up a free kick. 

Jeramey Robbins would place the free kick far post but Brems was there to make the save and secure the victory for Mercyhurst. The Lakers edged out the Marauders 14-13 in shots and Darian McCauley totaled three saves. 

Millersville is 12-6-2 overall, going on an impressive run to make the PSAC final including a road win over third seeded Gannon (2-0) and a dominant neutral-site victory over the No. 2 seed West Chester (6-1) Friday before falling just short in the championship game. 

Should the the Marauders miss the NCAA regional, Millersville will return plenty of talent in 2017, but lose three pivotal seniors from this squad in Devin Rediker, Christopher Sosa, and Jeramey Robbins, all of whom had decorated careers for the Black and Gold.