October 15, 2008

RAMS OUTSHOOT UNC WILMINGTON, BUT FALL 1-0
VCU gets off six more shots, but unable to find the back of the net
Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. – In soccer, there are nights that the net seems huge and others that the net is half the size.

It was the latter for the Virginia Commonwealth University men’s soccer team on Wednesday night as the Rams dropped a tough 1-0 decision to the visiting Seahawks of UNC Wilmington in Colonial Athletic Association action at VCU’s Sports Backers Stadium.

The loss snaps a three-game winning streak for the Black and Gold, who dropped to 7-5-0 on the year and 3-2 in conference play, while UNC Wilmington improves to 6-7-0 overall and 3-2 in CAA action.

Both defenses were stifling early on as neither team had scoring chances in the opening 20 minutes of play.

Sophomore C.J. Gehin-Scott (Chesapeake, Va.) tried to get the offense started in the 26th minute as he lofted a pass into the middle of the box for junior standout Forsan Asad-Radwan (Amman, Jordan), but the ball was tapped away by a UNC Wilmington defender.

Asad-Radwan had another opportunity four minutes later as classmate Alexi Achilleos (Virginia Beach, Va.) (left) found him streaking down the right sideline, but the Rams were unable to find the back of the net as the game remained scoreless.

Junior Jorit Loehr (Bremen, Germany) nearly helped VCU get on the board when he delivered a beautiful pass to a cutting Asad-Radwan, who made a diving shot that went just right of the net as the score remained tied at 0-0 in the 35th minute of action.

Neither team was able to have get anything going in the final 10 minutes of the half as the squads headed for the locker rooms with the scoreboard reading 0-0.

UNC Wilmington wasted little time changing that in the second half as Caito Heiland gathered a loose ball in the box and blasted a shot from 20 yards out into the bottom right corner of the net to give the Seahawks a 1-0 advantage.

Heiland nearly helped the Seahawks extend their lead to 2-0 as he lofted a free kick into the box for a cutting Indy Smith, but senior goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra (Woodbridge, Va.) was there for the save to keep the Rams within one goal.

The stifling UNC Wilmington defense flexed its muscle again in the 67th minute as a turnover deep in the Seahawks territory was gathered up by junior Phillip Daldrup (Muenster, Germany) with a wide open net by a great defensive play kept the powerful forward from tying the game at 1-1.

The Seahawk defense was the story down the stretch as it did not allow the potent VCU offense to get on the board as UNC Wilmington picked up the big 1-0 road win.

VCU owned the stat sheet with a 16-10 edge in shots and a 6-5 edge in shots on goal as they tested Seahawk goaltender Brandon Miller all night long.

The Rams are back in action on Saturday evening as they host the Dragons of Drexel University in a 7 p.m. contest at Sports Backers Stadium.