March 29, 2011
ROCK HILL, SC-- The ODU Soccer Monarchs looked to keep their unbeaten string against college opponents alive as they played in the prestigious Lowes Manchester Cup hosted by Winthrop University.
Eight of the ten teams in the 2011 Lowes Manchester Cup have played in the NCAA College Cup over the past two seasons. The Monarchs played two matches on Saturday March 26th.
The Soccer Monarchs first match was against the University of South Carolina Gamecocks. The first half saw the Monarchs posses the ball very well creating numerous scoring chances without finding the back of the net. The second half saw more positive play from the Monarchs who eventually found the back of the net when freshman Gideon Asante crossed a great ball into fellow freshman Alex Vaughn who finished off a great goal and a 1-0 victory.
The second match was against NC State of the ACC. Not only were the Soccer Monarchs trying to keep its spring unbeaten streak alive against college opponents but were also trying to keep its 2010/2011 campaign unbeaten against the ACC.
The Monarchs had wins over Virginia Tech, UNC-Chapel Hill and the University of Virginia this past fall season. The match was very similar to the first game as the Monarchs played well but were unable to score. Sophomore Chris Harmon almost scored the winner in the final seconds but saw the ball fly just over the crossbar. The final was a scoreless 0-0 tie which brings the Monarchs to a 3-0-1 mark against college teams this spring, while conceding only one goal.
The ODU Soccer Monarchs play their final match of the spring against Wingate University on Saturday, April 2nd at ODU. The match is scheduled for 1 p.m.