Eagles Fall in KIAC Finals to Point Park
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Asbury couldn’t hold two early leads in a 5-4 loss to Point Park (Pa.) in the KIAC/GCAC Tournament Championship game on Saturday afternoon. The Eagles led early 1-0 and 2-1 but trailed 5-2 at the break.
Redshirt-Senior Trent Popp scored three goals including two in the second half to close the gap to one in the 67th minute. From that point on the Eagles were unable to strike again to tie it. Popp finishes his career with 50 goals, the most for any player in school history. He closes out this season with 16 goals, he tallied 22 a year ago. He is also the all-time leader in points with 115.
Popp scored first in the 9th minute, but the lead didn’t last long for the Eagles as Romida Nanko answered for the Pioneers just two minutes later. In the 15th minute Jonathan Rehner scored off a free kick as Zach Welch delivered on the assist. That lead was also short lived as Nanko added his second of the game in the 19th to tie it at 2-2.
Point Park added three more goals in an 11 minute span that gave them a 5-2 lead at the half. The seven first half goals were scored within 24 minutes of each other. Asbury was in need of a historical moment in the second half, having never won a game when giving up five or more goals. Popp did his part, scoring in the 53rd from a Josh Braun assist and again in the 67th as Randy Troyer picked up the assist.
The Eagles season ends with a 12-7-1 record. Their 26 wins in the last two years are the most since winning 26 in the 1980-81 seasons. Also of note is Jonathan Rehner who leaves the program as the all-time leader in assists with 26.
