Box Score | Jerry Tortella's Goal | Chris Bolea Save
ERIE, Pa.- Two early goals, three minutes into the first half, was all Penn State Behrend men’s soccer team needed to capture the annual Herb Lauffer Memorial Tournament Championship against Baldwin-Wallace in non-conference play Sunday.
Senior forward Jerry Tortella led the attack for the Lions (2-0-1), placing a chip shot top shelf over the Yellow Jackets’ (1-1) defense just 30 seconds into the game. Two minutes later Joshua Teti was awarded a penalty kick that gave Behrend a 2-0 lead.
In the second half, Baldwin-Wallace applied tons of pressure on the Behrend defense, taking eight shots. In the 68th minute Tyler Leister, gathered a ball from Jeff Bonezzi out of the defense and scored to give the Yellow Jackets hope (2-1). Just seconds later, a strike by Leister on a cross played by Pat Brennan, carried wide, which would have knotted the game. Behrend only got two shots off the entire second half.
Goalie Chris Bolea had six saves to help the men including a huge stop off a header from Carlin Vanderiessche of the Yellow Jackets with eight minutes left in the game.
Team captain Lance Sabol was honored as the Tournament MVP. Behrend returns to action on Friday against McMurry in Colorado Springs, CO. The Lions are back home on September 18 to host Westminster at 3 p.m.