A 58th-minute goal from sophomore forward Ido Chalamish lifted the Point Park men’s soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Frostburg State on Sunday evening at Bobcat Stadium, completing the season sweep and clinching a home playoff game in the upcoming Mountain East Conference Tournament.
With the win, Point Park improves to 7-7-1 overall and 7-4-1 in MEC play, securing at least the No. 4 seed in the six-team tournament.
With 22 points, the Pioneers now sit in third place in the eight-team league. The victory also marks a milestone for the program — its first-ever playoff berth since joining the MEC two years ago.
Chalamish’s decisive strike came off an assist from Giovanni Pezzi early in the second half, marking his fourth goal of the season. The sophomore made an immediate impact after coming off the bench, sealing one of the team’s most important wins of the year.
“I’m always happy to score goals,” Chalamish said. “That’s my job. That’s what I do, but it’s definitely extra special when it’s one that gives my team such an important win. I get a lot of support and love from the guys here, so after the goal, the only thing on my mind was running to celebrate it with them.”
The Pioneers’ defensive unit, anchored by sophomore Nikolai Tjoestheim and Tomle Donig, held strong throughout the match. Goalkeeper Gregorio Capponi recorded five saves to earn his second shutout of the season.
Statistically, Frostburg State edged Point Park in total shots, but the Pioneers maintained a 6-5 advantage in shots on goal and a 7-6 edge in corner kicks.
Tjoestheim credited the team’s chemistry as a key factor in their success.
“The partnership has been great this season so far,” Tjoestheim said. “The chemistry on the team is very strong, and that helps us a lot. We actually work for each other and fight for each other. When the team has good chemistry, that results in good performance and taking points.”
He added that the defensive performance was crucial to Sunday’s success.
“This win was massive,” Tjoestheim said. “We played for the hosting spot in the playoffs, and we fought together and took the win. Not too many clean sheets this season, so it was great to add another one, but that’s a team performance.”
Junior forward Lorenzo Grispello emphasized the significance of the result and what it means moving forward.
“This win was crucial for us to secure fourth place and earn the chance to play the quarterfinals at home,” Grispello said. “Keeping a clean sheet means a lot. We haven’t managed to do that often this year, but it’s something we want to build on. Hopefully, we can finish the season strong and head into the playoffs with great confidence.”
He also noted how far the program has come since last season.
“Securing fourth place means we’ll get to play our first playoff game at home, which is huge for the program,” Grispello said. “Last year, we didn’t even qualify, so this really shows how much we’ve improved. But we can’t be satisfied yet, there’s still a chance to fight for third place.”
Looking ahead, Point Park will close out the regular season with three straight home matches, beginning Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. against Davis & Elkins at Highmark Stadium.
“Fans can expect a great show,” Grispello said. “Neither we nor Davis & Elkins are satisfied with fourth place, so it’s going to be one of the most intense and exciting games to watch. They have a similar playing style to ours; they like to keep the ball on the ground and combine. It’s definitely a game no one should miss.”
Chalamish echoed that energy heading into the home stretch.
“Heading into the game, we’ll try to go beyond our own expectations and finish even higher in the standings,” Chalamish said. “We’re coming all out. It’s a great chance to build even more positive momentum going into the playoffs.”
