YORK, PA – The York College men's soccer team stayed hot as they opened MAC Commonwealth play with a dramatic 2-1 win over Alvernia University on a sun-splashed Saturday in York. The Spartans extended their current win streak to four and their unbeaten streak to 12.

The Golden Wolves scored in the 30^th minute and the Spartans tied the game just before the half. York notched the game-winner midway through the second half to earn the big win.
The Spartans improve to 8-0-4 overall and 1-0 in league play. Alvernia falls to 5-4-3 overall and 0-1 in the conference.
 
How It Happened
• The game was played at a frenetic pace early as Spartan goalie Jake Bono was forced to make a save just 39 seconds into the game. The Spartans then registered three corners and four shots over the next 16 minutes of play.
• The Golden Wolves hit the Spartans with a four-shot flurry The the ball got pinged all around the box as the Spartans' couldn't clear the ball. Alvernia finally found the back of the net on the fourth shot of the barrage as Dominic Flowers scored his fourth goal of the year, putting the Golden Wolves up 1-0 in the 28^th minute.
• The Spartans got a pair of corners late in the half but wouldn't be able to create a chance. With just under three minutes left in the stanza, Matt Zeiders flipped a lob into the top of the box. Dylan Marco headed the ball towards the end line where Aiden Hall collected the ball, drove to the end line and ripped a perfect pass to the far left post. Ricky Cicmanec received the ball and just tapped it in, tying the game at one with his second goal of the year.
• The Golden Wolves pressured the Spartans early in the second half. Spartan goalie Jake Bono made a pair of saves to keep Alvernia from adding to their tally. The Spartans gained some momentum midway through the half. The momentum paid off in the 75^th minute as Gavin Huey won a contested ball about 15 yards outside the box. He sent a pass to Tyler Howlett who was just outside the box to the left. Howlett alertly sent a one touch pass into a charging Luke Nall who flicked a shot inside the right post for the 2-1 Spartan lead.
• The Golden Wolves turned up the pressure over the final 13 minutes of the game as pushed forward, forcing the Spartan defense to stand tall to preserve the lead. The Golden Wolves had one last chance with 42 seconds left as they got a corner kick and a header but the shot was high and the Spartans closed out the win.
• The Golden Wolves out shot the Spartans 19-14 overall but the Spartans had an 8-7 margin in shots on goal. York had a 7-3 advantage in corner kicks while both teams had six saves. The game featured a combined 27 fouls and five yellow cards between the two squads.
 
Spartan Notes
The win snaps a three-match Spartan losing streak to Alvernia … York improves to 5-3-2 all-time against the Golden Wolves … the Spartans reached double figures in shots for the 11^th time in 12 games this year … York has outscored their 12 opponents 23-8 for the year … York is now 6-0-2 at home … all four of the Spartan wins over their current win streak have come by one goal … York has outscored their home opponents 14-4 in eight games … sophomore Ricky Cicmanec notched his second career goal in his 20^th career match … senior Luke Nall recorded his fourth career game-winning goal and first goal of this season … Nall now has nine career goals for York … Gavin Huey recorded his team-leading third assist of the year … York has had 12 different players score at least one goal and 13 players notch at least one assist … York has had 16 players record at least one point during the year … Jake Bono improved to 7-0-3 with the win in goal … Bono had five saves in the game … Bono had a great week as he allowed one goal in 180 minutes of play with eight saves in the two Spartan wins … Bono is now 10-4-3 for his Spartan career in 18 starts … the Spartans' 12-game unbeaten streak to start the season is the best since the 2008 York squad ripped off 18 wins to start of the season.
 
Up Next
York kicks off a three-game road swing starting Wednesday night as they head to Arcadia for their final non-conference match of the year. Game time in Glenside, PA is set for 7:00 pm.