AU men’s soccer was shut out for the third consecutive time Saturday, as it lost to the College of William and Mary 2-0, bringing the team below the .500 mark at 2-3 on the year.
Both teams wasted no time in the first half, immediately getting pressure in their respective offensive zones. The Eagles’ best opportunity came during the 23rd minute, when AU Freshman Ryan Morales beat the Tribes’ goalkeeper but hit the post. While they accumulated six total shots in the first half, none of them came close to threatening the William and Mary keeper.
“We had chances,” AU Head Coach Todd West said after the game. “[We] didn’t finish [the ones we had].”
While AU was unable to capitalize on their chances, the Tribe made the most of theirs. William and Mary was awarded a free kick in the 26th minute and Andrew Hoxie shot it past sophomore Matt Makowski to take a 1-0 lead. It appeared that the Tribe had struck again, but the goal was waived off since time had expired.
The second half began with much of the same, as AU had their chances but failed to capitalize on them. Even though the team was connecting on passes, they were stifled by the William and Mary defense in the penalty box. It took the team over 15 minutes to record their next shot after their initial one.
William and Mary countered AU’s pressure with a goal in the first 10 minutes. Tribe fielder Alan Koger knocked a header into the net on a cross from teammate Jeremy Harris. The goal effectively put the game away, as AU failed to get on the board for the rest of the game.
The box score did not represent the game, as AU recorded 18 shots but never had an advantage in the match. Forward Daniel Shannon led the attack with six shots and three shots on goal. Despite the team’s 18 shots on goal, only five actually made it to the William and Mary keeper.
“William and Mary has always been a tough program [...] we had trouble with their speed on counter-attacks,” Coach West said after the game. “The loss is a setback when you look at it and say, ‘we’ve lost three games in a row.’”
Despite the loss, Coach West said that he is impressed with the number of players rising to the challenge and providing competition for each position on the field. The team plays their next game Wednesday against Virginia Tech University, in Blacksburg, Va.
The team was ranked No. 23 in the NCAA at the beginning of September, but fell out of the poll after losing three consecutive games.
You can reach this writer at sports@theeagleonline.com.
