Final Score: VCU 2, UNCW 1
Location: Wilmington, N.C. (UNCW Soccer Stadium)
Records: VCU 2-0-0, UNCW 0-1-0
The short story: Fifth-year seniors
Samantha Jerabek and
Emma Kershner scored within 90 seconds of each other to guide the Rams to a 2-1 win over UNCW in the first road match of the season.
QUICK FACTS
- Jerabek's goal was her first of the season and 25th of her prolific collegiate career.
- Kershner's tally was also her first of the season, and the 13th of her career in Black and Gold.
- Freshman forward Kanna Matsuhisa provided the assist on Kershner's goal, her first collegiate point.
- Redshirt senior goalkeeper Grace Young did not allow a goal for the first 150 minutes of the 2021 season.
- VCU held 54% of the possession in the match, and outshot UNCW by a 13-6 margin.
- The Rams also held a 7-3 advantage in both shots on goal and corner kicks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- VCU was dangerous in the attack from the opening whistle, with several shots blocked in the box within the first five minutes.
- Young denied the Seahawks' best scoring chance of the first half in the 11th minute, reacting quickly to get a leg to a shot on the line after a corner kick.
- Jerabek opened the scoring in the 13th minute, cutting in from the left and blasting a shot to the top far corner.
- Just 90 seconds later, Kershner collected a through ball from Matsuhisa and finished to the left of the charging goalkeeper to double the VCU advantage at 2-0.
- Jerabek nearly doubled her own tally in the 29th minute, collecting a loose ball at the top of the box and ripping a shot across the face of goal that forced a diving save.
- The Rams continued to threaten early in the second half, earning three straight corner kicks. In the 53rd minute, junior midfielder Anna Bagley laid off a ball for Jerabek, who fired a shot off the crossbar.
- UNCW pulled a goal back in the 60th minute through Morgan Nanni, who put away a rebound from a blocked shot.
- Young delivered a huge save in the 67th minute, coming off her line to stop a shot on UNCW breakaway.
- While the Seahawks pressed for an equalizer, the VCU back line held strong and kept UNCW without a shot for the final 24 minutes of the match.
QUOTING HEAD COACH LINDSEY MARTIN
"I thought we had a great first half today, and really looked dangerous from our build-up play. Sammy and Emma both had good goals from the run of play. UNCW did a good job in the second half of making our lives difficult and making us deal with a great deal of direct play. Our team battled and showed a lot of defensive grit in order to secure the win."
UP NEXT
VCU returns to Sports Backers Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 26 when it hosts ACC foe Wake Forest at 7 p.m.