NORFOLK, Va. – The No. 24 Old Dominion men’s soccer team opened up the 2015 season with a 2-0 loss to No. 21 Coastal Carolina on Friday night in front of a crowd of 781 at the ODU Soccer Complex.
Coastal (1-0-0) kicked off the scoring in the 17th minute, as Sergio Camargo netted an unassisted goal. Camargo collected a loose ball and hit a shot from just inside the box that found the upper right corner of the net. The Chanticleers would carry the 1-0 lead into the half, outshooting the Monarchs, 8-6, and holding a 4-0 advantage in corner kicks in the opening segment.
Junior midfielder Jesse Miralrio and senior forward Ivan Militar each had scoring opportunities in the opening half with shots from inside the box, but they could not beat Coastal goalkeeper Fernando Pina.
"I was disappointed with the first half," said head coach Alan Dawson. "We need to play more confidently than that. They sensed that and dictated most of the half."
Old Dominion (0-1-0) picked up the pace in the second half, creating several more goal-scoring chances in the final 45 minutes of the match. The Monarchs outshot the Chants, 10-6, in the second half.
"The second half was better," said Dawson. "The attacking mentality was better and we got at them a little bit. However, we gifted them a second goal and it was an opportunity that they took very well."
In the 50th minute, junior midfielder Cole Stringer nearly knocked in a low cross, but Pina was there to make the save.
Just minutes later, the Chanticleers extended their lead to 2-0, as Bryce Follensbee scored off of a breakaway in the 54th minute.
Down two goals, the Monarchs remained on the attack for the remainder of the match, but could not find the back of the net. Freshman Niko Klosterhalfen had the best scoring chance of the night for ODU, hitting a shot that ricocheted off of the crossbar in the 75th minute.
Miralrio, Militar and Stringer paced the Monarch attack, recording three shots apiece, while Alex Tiesenhausen played the full 90 minutes in net for ODU, tallying four saves.
Three freshmen, Sebastian Joly at defense and Jack Willbye and Klosterhalfen in the midfield, all made their first career starts for the Monarchs.
FINAL STATS
Team | 1st | 2nd | Final |
#21 Coastal Carolina | 1 | 1 | 2 |
#24 Old Dominion | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Goals:
17’ Coastal: Sergio Camargo, unassisted (1)
54’ Coastal: Bryce Follensbee, unassisted (1)
Shots: ODU (16), Coastal (14)
SOG: ODU (7), Coastal (6)
Corner Kicks: ODU (2), Coastal (7)
Saves: Alex Tiesenhausen, ODU (4); Fernando Pina, Coastal (7)
UP NEXT FOR ODU
The Monarchs remain at home for another top-25 showdown, taking on No. 25 Akron Sunday night at 7 p.m. at the ODU Soccer Complex. The match will be featured as a “Game of the Week” and the live stream will include play-by-play from Ted Alexander and color commentary from Greg Mottinger.
VOUCHER BOOKS
Take advantage of the great offer to attend ODU soccer games through the ODU Soccer Voucher Book available online at www.ynottix.com or at the ticket gate for all home games. With the voucher book receive 20 ticket vouchers redeemable at any home men’s or women’s soccer games for the cost of just $25. With every purchase you also receive an official ODU Soccer scarf!
Be sure to keep up with all the latest news regarding ODU Men’s Soccer on Facebook; as well as follow @ODUMensSoccer on Twitter and ODUSoccer on Instagram!