Score: #13/22 Dayton 3, VCU 1
Location: Dayton, Ohio (Baujan Field)
Records: VCU 1-7-5 (1-1-3 Atlantic 10), #13/22 Dayton 9-1-4 (3-0-3 Atlantic 10)
 
The short story: The Rams held their own early, but the nationally-ranked Flyers found their offensive touch in the second half to beat the Black and Gold.   
 
QUICK FACTS

• Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper John Ermini racked up six saves, giving him 40 total saves on the season.
• Sophomore defender Scott McLeod scored his first goal of the season by kicking home the rebound off of a set piece. It is the second career goal for the Kingston, Jamaica native.  
• In addition to McLeod, sophomore midfielder William Hitchcock and redshirt sophomore defender Ethan Manheim also got credited with shots on goal.
• This was the Rams' fourth match this season versus a team that was ranked in the national polls at the time.  

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• VCU spent the majority of the first half in their defensive third, but Ermini and the defense fended off Dayton's attack to go into halftime with a scoreless tie.
• The Flyers broke the stalemate with a 52nd-minute tally by Jaden-Jones Riley. Dayton then padded their lead with Forester Ajago's goal in the 83rd minute.
• The Rams got on the board in the 83rd minute when freshman midfielder Gerardo Castillo booted a free kick from distance into the box. The first shot attempt by Manheim missed the mark, but McLeod was in the right spot in front of the net to boot in the rebound.
• The Flyers tacked on a third goal at the 88-minute mark courtesy of Basit Umar to wrap up the scoring.

 
HEAR FROM HEAD COACH DAVE GIFFARD
"I'll start by saying that Dayton was very good. They are the best Dayton team that we've seen since we've been here. With that being said, the first half from us was very good. We had the two best chances of the half through [William Hitchcock] and [Mouhamed Tucker] who were both in clean. After the break, the game was still there for us to get something from it, even after we conceded the first goal. We made the adjustment to chase the game and got one back but unfortunately conceded one in the process. While we were chasing the game, we had three point-blank looks at goal and credit Dayton who scrambled well and made plays to deny us each time. We gave ourselves a chance to win the game tonight, and I know that if we were to see Dayton again, our group understands how we can get the result."
 
UP NEXT
The Black and Gold return home on Wednesday, October 19 to host Rhode Island, a match originally scheduled for October 1 that was postponed due to inclement weather. The A-10 Conference matchup starts at 7 p.m., and it will be streamed live on ESPN+.