September 20, 2009

RAMS BATTLE LONGWOOD TO 1-1 DOUBLE OVERTIME DRAW
Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. – A pair of overtime periods was not enough to settle a match between Virginia Commonwealth University and Longwood as the teams battled to a 1-1 draw at Sports Backers Stadium on Sunday evening.

“We have to give them credit in that they are an organized and extremely hard-working team, said VCU head coach Tim O’Sullivan.  “We had our chances to finish the game off and didn’t.  It was tough.  At the same time, we were a little bit closer to where we need to be in terms of staying composed and disciplined.  Even with the result, it was a step closer for us in my opinion from where we were against Richmond on Tuesday.”

VCU got off to a slow start as Longwood held the Rams without a shot in a scoreless first half.  Both teams struggled to generate much offense to start the game but the Lancers managed to pressure the VCU defense for much of the opening period.

It was not the 56th minute before the Black and Gold registered its first shot with a crucial scoring opportunity.  Senior Owusu Seykere (Suame-Kumasi, Ghana) found a streaking Romario Blandon (Tegucigalpa, Honduras) down the right sideline.  Blandon dribbled to the corner before sending a pass into the box, where Philipp Daldrup (Bremen, Germany) fired home a shot from 10-yards out to put the Rams on top, 1-0.

Longwood got on the board in the 72nd minute as Martin Vickerson snuck a pass to a cutting Harvey Headley in the box.  Headley promptly sent a shot, which was deflected off the VCU defense, past
Rams’ keeper Jackson Van Arsdale (Richmond, Va.), who made seven saves in his first collegiate start in the net.

The Lancers attempted to send a dagger into the VCU defense with just over six minutes to go in regulation.  Zack Mahon took a rebound off a missed shot before Mirweis Zahelzei (Kabul, Afghanistan) applied pressure to contain Mahon long enough for Van Arsdale, who had been pulled to the left following the shot, to make a diving save on a point-blank strike from five yards out.

“I thought Van Arsdale was really sound in goal tonight,” O’Sullivan said.  We didn’t have any hesitation in playing him in this game, as with our other two keepers.  He was a little unlucky on the goal he allowed as it was really a deflection behind the defense.

“One of our strengths in this group is the depth we have at the keeper position.  All three [Van Arsdale, Andrew Wells and Gabriel Rodriguez] are outstanding and all three could be our starting keeper.”

Both teams had chances to win the match during the first overtime period.  During the opening minute of overtime, Blandon sent a shot that was blocked at the top of the box by keeper Joel Helmick before Seykere broke loose through the defense and fired a shot just wide of the target.

The Rams continued to pressure with 1:30 to go in the first overtime.  Seykere sent a pass into the box to Joey Lyonnais’ (Fredericksburg, Va.) but Helmick secured the attempt just in front of the goal.

The second extra period played out much like the first as neither team could find the net.

Longwood held a 9-3 advantage in corners and a 13-8 margin in shots.