McGuiness Stays Hot As Royals Improve to 4-0

by Randy Shemanski

September 12, 2012

Senior midfielder Bill McGuiness (Forty Fort, Pa./Wyoming Valley West) scored two goals for the second straight game and The University of Scranton men’s soccer team improved to 4-0 for the first time in 19 years with a 4-2 victory over Ursinus College on Wednesday evening at Fitzpatrick Field.

The Royals also received goals from senior midfielder Matthew Salvatore (Howell, N.J./Howell) and sophomore forward Kevin Kozic (Raritan, N.J./Immaculata) as they opened the season by winning four straight for the first time since 1993. McGuiness’s two goals give him five on the season, a career high and one more than any player on Scranton’s roster last season.

Scranton wasted little time taking control against Ursinus (2-3), scoring at the 13:11 mark when Salvatore scored on an assist from freshman midfielder Nate Doyle (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) after Doyle made a nifty move in the right corner to get clear of a defender.

Five minutes later, Kozic made it 2-0 when he headed home a long direct kick by junior defender Stephen Kilty (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West). The assist was Kilty’s third of the season, all on direct kicks.

Ursinus cut the deficit to 2-1 with 15 seconds to go in the half when freshman forward Ryan Butler (Palmyra, N.J./Palmyra) scored the first of his two goals on a feed from senior defender Colin Kunkle (Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson).

But McGuiness scored 12 minutes into the second half on a 12-yard blast off a feed from senior midfielder Patrick M. Daley (Rochester, N.Y./Aquinas Institute). McGuiness put the game away at the 74:43 mark when he found space in the middle and scored after taking a feed from the left wing from freshman defender Joel Potter (Randolph, N.J./Randolph). The assists by Daley and Potter were the first of the season for each.

Senior goalie James Dillon (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown) made four saves in goal for his fourth win of the season.

Scranton has now scored 13 goals in four games after scoring just 19 all of last season. The Royals are also now 32-4-1 all-time against Ursinus, including six straight victories.

For Ursinus, Butler’s two goals gave him seven on the season, putting him among the NCAA Divison III national leader.

The Royals will return to action on Saturday, Sept. 15, when they travel to Newburgh, N.Y. to take on Mt. St. Mary at noon.