NORFOLK, Va. – The No. 22 Old Dominion men’s soccer team opened the 40th Annual STIHL Classic with a bang on Friday night, defeating Jacksonville, 4-0, in front of a raucous crowd of 921 at the ODU Soccer Complex.
"It's a very festive night. We got a big crowd with all of the students getting involved," said head coach Alan Dawson.
ODU (3-1-0) went ahead early on a goal from senior Ivan Militar in the 12th minute. The Hungary native received a through ball from classmate Ryan Condotta and put away a shot into the lower right corner for his first score of the season.
The Monarchs carried the 1-0 lead into halftime with the shot count even at 7-7 and Jacksonville (2-1-1) holding a 3-1 advantage in corner kicks.
"In the second half, we turned it up a notch and the tempo was much better," said Dawson.
However, ODU opened up the match in the second half, scoring three of its four goals in the final 45 minuts of play.
After assisting on Militar’s goal, Condotta found the net himself in the 59th minute, capitalizing on a penalty kick drawn by freshman Niko Klosterhalfen. Condotta buried his shot into the left side netting for his second goal in as many matches.
The Monarchs would add to their lead in the final 15 minutes, as Jesse Miralrio scored his first goal of the season in the 79th minute. Miralrio ran onto a long ball from freshman defender Sebastian Joly and chipped a shot over the JU goalkeeper to extend the Monarch lead to 3-0.
In the 81st minute, Klosterhalfen netted ODU’s fourth and final goal, firing a strike into the right side of the net off of a through ball from senior Geoffrey Hill.
The Monarchs outshot Jacksonville, 18-12, on the night as they handed the Dolphins their first defeat of the season. Midfielder Allan Morgan led Jacksonville with four shots, while goalkeeper Liam O’Connor recorded four saves.
Alex Tiesenhausen earned his second shutout of the season in net for the Monarchs. Tiesenhausen tallied a season-high seven saves, including several diving stops.
"We probably gave them too many chances at goal and the chances they had were legit," said Dawson. "But, he [Tiesenhausen] made some fantastic saves. He didn't give any rebounds up, he was very clean. He just did everything very well tonight and we applauded him."
In other STIHL Classic action, VCU defeated Hartford, 2-0, in Richmond, Virginia. ODU will play Hartford on Sunday night at 7 p.m. at the ODU Soccer Complex and VCU is set to take on Jacksonville at the same time in Richmond. The Monarchs lead VCU by two in goal differential heading into Sunday.
"It's a tough game, a different game. Hartford is typically the top team in their conference and were ranked earlier in the year," said Dawson about Sunday's contest. "We're in for a real competitive game on Sunday night. "We'll have to bring our best."
| Final: #22 Old Dominion 4, Jacksonville 0 | ||
| JU | Stat Breakdown | ODU |
| Goals | Militar (12'), Condotta (59'), Miralrio (79'), Klosterhalfen (81') | |
| 12 | 8 | Shots | SOG | 18 | 8 |
| 4 | Corner Kicks | 3 |
| 12 | Fouls | 11 |
| O'Connor, 4 | Saves | Tiesenhausen, 7 |
UP NEXT FOR ODU
The Monarchs will try and capture the STIHL Classic crown on Sunday night, as they take on Hartford at 7 p.m. at the ODU Soccer Complex.
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!
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