VMI women fall to Old Dominion, 4-1

Two Old Dominion second-half goals broke open a close match, sending the visiting Lady Monarchs to a 4-1 win over VMI in women’s soccer action Friday at Patchin Field.
 
With ODU (1-0-1) nursing a 2-1 lead with under 30 minutes to play, and doing so in front of the third-largest women’s soccer crowd ever at Patchin Field (509), Jocelyn Weidner passed the ball from about 20 yards out across and into the box. Kirstin Walker was able to settle it and lift the ball past a diving VMI (0-2) keeper Angela Redmond, making the score 3-1, and the Lady Monarchs would add another score with just over three minutes to play to account for the final margin.
 
VMI’s Amanda Berrios accounted for the Keydets’ lone score, tallying a goal 10 minutes into the second half, while five different players had points for ODU, led by Weidner’s two goals and an assist.
 
The Lady Monarchs, coming off a tie with Syracuse this past week, pushed the pace early as they misfired on a handful of shots in the opening 11 minutes. In the match’s 14th minute, ODU struck a cross into the middle of the box, right at the feet of Victoria Johnson, who attempted a sliding, arcing shot. The ball struck the crossbar and tipped directly back to a waiting Redmond, keeping the game scoreless.
 
The first corner kick of the day came with just over 18 minutes gone by, and the Lady Monarchs made it count. Rachael Carroll struck the ball to the far side of the box, finding defender Amber Cook, who headed the ball into the back of the net to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. Just five minutes later, ODU notched a second goal, as Johnson found Weidner about 25 yards out for a shot that ended with a score, staking the Lady Monarchs to a 2-0 advantage.
 
With 18 minutes to go in the half, VMI inserted a round of substitutes, and the momentum seemed to shift slightly. The Keydets were able to get a series of runs deep into ODU territory, resulting in a pair of quality opportunities, coming at 40:15 and 42:33. At the intermission, however, the score remained 2-0.
 
During halftime, the VMI freshmen class, comprised of several hundred individuals, made its way to the sidelines to cheer on the VMI women. This seemed to invigorate the Keydet defense, as after surviving a pair of quality ODU chances in the opening moments of the second half, Sarah Strand forced a turnover in the ODU zone.
 
She moved the ball to just short of midfield, and then found Berrios racing about ¾ of the way toward the Lady Monarch goal. Berrios beat the lone defender that was back, and had a one vs. one chance against the keeper, Brianna Alvarado. Alvarado stopped the initial chance, but the ball caromed right back to Berrios, who quickly lofted the rebound into the net for the score. The goal came at the 55:09 mark, and cut the VMI deficit to 2-1.
 
“Amanda’s goal was a tremendous effort on her part, and I was pleased with her effort throughout the second half,” said Coach Williams. “I felt like when we got that goal, at that point, anything was possible. Being down 2-0 was not a disadvantage to us, in fact, I think we stepped up and played even harder.”
 
The Lady Monarchs proved their mettle quickly, countering just moments later. After a Redmond save, ODU kept the ball in and got it into the box. Redmond stopped the initial shot from about eight yards out, but could not corral the rebound, leaving it free for a pair of open shot attempts. Fortunately for the home team, the first shot bounced off the post and the second went off the crossbar, allowing the VMI defense to clear and the margin to remain 2-1.
 
Moments later, however, Walker struck for her goal. Berrios nearly made it 3-2 late in the contest, misfiring on a shot with 6:35 to play, but neither squad could score until Weidner notched her second marker of the afternoon at 86:54, accounting for the final margin.
 
The Lady Monarchs held an impressive 31-3 edge in shot attempts on the day, and forced Redmond to make nine saves. Alvarado did not have a save on the afternoon.
 
“I’d like to commend the play of LaCreshia Page in the middle, along with Gabby McCarron and Kelly Morrison,” stated Coach Williams. “They did an excellent job of dealing a very direct ODU team. Overall, I was pleased with the way we stepped up and played against a CAA opponent, and a very good one at that. Despite a numbers disadvantage, we were able to create chances for ourselves, and we forced them to work hard all over the field to deal with us. I felt like it was a fun match for anyone watching.”