Old Dominion men’s soccer team delivered a commendable defensive performance in front of an impressive crowd of 1,767 against #5 ranked West Virginia before succumbing to a narrow 1-0 defeat.
“Disappointed not to get something in the game this evening. I thought the boys played very well in the first half, but not quite up to scratch in the second. Proud of the guy’s work rate tonight, just disappointed in the result,” Head Coach Tenant McVea commented postgame.
In the second minute of the Sun Belt opener, a WVU player received a yellow card for fouling Tim Ennin. This led to a free kick for Graduate Student Andrew Bennett, who had already scored a goal similarly earlier in the season. He kicked the ball over the Mountaineer wall and hit the crossbar.
ODU’s defensive effort during the first 45 minutes was impressive. The upfront pressure and strong man-to-man defense prevented the Mountaineers from scoring in the first half.
In the game, Junior goalkeeper Michael Statham delivered an outstanding performance by making numerous high-quality defensive plays to keep a clean sheet for the evening. In the 43rd minute, a ball was played to WVU’s top scorer, Sergio Ors Navarro, who sprinted into the box for what seemed to be a great opportunity to score before halftime. However, Statham outplayed Ors Navarro in the box and successfully blocked the ball with his body, preventing a goal for the Mountaineers.
At halftime, the Monarchs had the game in their favor as they led 4-1 in shots and they did not give way to a WVU corner for the entire first half.
To open the second half, the Mountaineers gained some momentum as they put defensive pressure on the ODU backline and midfield ultimately resulting in a sloppy pass that yielded a Mountaineer goal in the 54th minute.
Following the mistake, the Monarchs did not let the single goal margin discourage them as they continued to fight throughout the entire 90 minutes. The Mountaineers dominated possession in the second half but were unable to capitalize, as the ODU defensive shape held strong.
The last 15 minutes of the match were hard-fought as the Monarchs searched for an equalizer. Graduate forward Timothy Ennin had a chance in the 75th minute but his shot went wide right. In the 88th minute, freshman forward Adrian Buri had an opportunity but also missed the target.
The Monarchs did not give up, and with under a minute remaining, they gained a free kick. Graudate midfielder Andrew Bennett took the kick and the ball was cleared by a Mountaineer, leading to protests from the ODU side due to a suspected handball in the penalty area.
Ultimately, the Monarchs fell 1-0 to the #5 Mountaineers, but they have shown that they can compete with the best in men’s college soccer, giving them something to look forward to in future matches.
With the loss, the Monarchs now boast a 4-3-1 record and look ahead to another crucial Sun Belt matchup. They’ll travel to Charleston, W Va. next weekend with a date against No. 10 Marshall. Kick-off is scheduled for next Sunday at 4:30 p.m.
