ST. DAVIDS, Pa.--Eastern Men's Soccer traveled across the street Saturday evening for the annual Battle of Eagle Road, and for the first time in a long time, returned from Cabrini College with a win.

The Eastern Eagles defeated the Cabrini Cavaliers 1-0 Saturday to improve to 4-1 this season. Eastern junior Ben Barnhart (Strasburg, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) sank the game winner in the 75th minute. (Instagram video of goal)

"I think it's the first time in eight years that we've won across the street," said Eagles head coach Mark Wagner. "But it doesn't matter what the score of any previous game was, or how either team is doing during the season, it doesn't matter; it's a derby match and you just have to leave it all out on the field."

And a derby match it was, encompassing both the neighboring rivalry and the intense, physical play aspects of the definition, featuring a brief altercation, an accidentally-tackled assistant referee, and (somehow) no bookings.

After a scoreless first half, in which Wagner thought the Eagles came out a little flat, the Eagles stepped up the intensity in the second half. Wagner said he thought the Eagles responded well in the second half and were playing with more energy. The Eagles pressured Cabrini's offense consistently, earned five second-half corner kicks and took four shots. One shot in the 49th minute nearly gave the Eagles the lead; however, the strike from 20-plus yards out by freshman Nate Roberts dinged off the bottom of the crossbar and avoided the goalmouth.

With the game still tied 0-0, Eric Giovagnoli took the ball up the right wing and crossed it to Ben Barnhart in the middle, near the 18. Barnhart, who had just entered the game five minutes prior, then left the ball for an approaching Hunter Rosenberg. Barnhart spun and received the ball back from Rosenberg and finished for the only goal of the match.

"I was expecting Rosie [Rosenberg] to shoot it," Barnhart said, "and he gave it right back to me. I was just trying to get a touch to set it up and it took a few touches, but it just kind of opened up for me."

Head coach Mark Wagner said that Barnhart had come off one of the best practices of the season where he had been trying a slightly different position. "It seemed like he might be the right guy to play in the middle," Wagner said. "[We told him] to be ready if you get the opportunity. He obviously proved it. Most guys would have tried to fire it quicker; he just had the composure to cut it one more time and he saw the opening and put it home. It was a classy goal."

Senior back Brandon Reichart said that Barnhart's energy off the bench was exactly what the team needed at that point. Reichart said he felt relieved after the goal. He said, "As soon as I saw their keeper dive to the left, and Benny put it down, I knew, 'We're good--we just have to stop them now.'"

Reichart led the defense in shutting down Cabrini's attack, especially when Cabrini was trying to tie the game in the final 15 minutes. "At the end of the game, it was a free-for-all," he said. " I just rose up for all the balls I could and somehow put a header on them."

Coach Wagner was pleased with the way the Eagles were able to hold off the Cavs for the shutout. "In the last ten minutes Cabrini threw a lot of numbers forward and we were under pressure," he said. "I thought our back four played well. Reichart won a ton of balls and I thought Joe [Centeno] played really well in goal. He really came up big for us a couple times."

The rivalry win was special for Reichart, a senior. "Coming over here is always tough," he said. "But having all of our fans over here tonight was a pretty cool feeling."

The Eagles continue non-conference play when they host Berkeley College (N.J.) at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.

Box Score