NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion men’s soccer defeated Elon, 5-3 on Monday night in Norfolk, Virginia in the home opener for the Monarchs at ODU Soccer Stadium. ODU moves to 2-0 for the first time in nine years.
“Elon is always a tough opponent,” said ODU head coach Tennant McVea. “They are well coached and always extremely tough. I thought we started the game very well. It’s disappointing to concede three goals at home but we took our chances tonight and I’m happy with a home win.”
Old Dominion (2-0) got out in front in the first 94 seconds of the game. ODU got a quick corner after attacking the Phoenix’s final third straight out of the kickoff and Ludovico Vicini whipped a cross to the far post and David Chapman connected to find the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.
Elon (1-1) came back to equalize the game in the 33rd minute from Tonnes Daland off an assist from Kallon Mohamed. Elon scored for a second time 80 seconds later to take its first advantage of the game and give the Monarchs their first deficit to respond to during this season. Jordin Wilson found the back of the net with a left-footed shot that he hit across his body, it smacked the post and the ball caressed itself into the back of the net.
ODU would not stay behind for long, however, and the Hessen, Germany native Noah Dietze scored a world class goal from outside the box on his left peg. After a failed clearance by Elon, ODU’s Dietze got the ball outside the box and struck a shot that stunned Elon’s Mikolaj Lenarcik and thudded itself against the near post and found the back of the net to bring both sides on level terms.
ODU kept applying the pressure against the Phoenix after the restart and Alessandro Maldonado was taken down in the box by Elon’s Weston Jonke. Jason Purks stepped up and slotted it past Lenarcik to score his first goal as a Monarch, 3-2 in the 37th minute. That concluded the scoring in the first half as ODU went into the halftime break up by one goal in a 45-minute period where five were tallied.
After halftime concluded, ODU were first to strike quickly, this time it took 92 seconds before the Silver and Blue opened the scoring in the second half. Purks netted himself a brace after cleaning up a rebound from a Miguel Menendez shot, 4-2.
Six minutes after ODU added an insurance goal it was clear that it was needed. Elon netted its third goal of the game and this time it came from Jahmir Flowers in the 53rd. He was played into the box thanks to an assist from Daland and struck it past ODU’s Alexander Aguilar.
ODU put the game to bed in the 79th with a Menendez shot that was directed at the bottom left of the goal. The native of Oviedo, Spain was the first to react after a shot by Otu Bisong was saved off the line by an Elon defender, but it fell right into the path of the fourth-year midfielder who calmly put it where Lenarcik couldn’t get to it for the final 5-3 margin.
ODU outshot the Phoenix, 16-8 and 9-5 in shots on target. Elon held a +3 advantage of corner kicks taken (5-2). ODU had a balanced attack through both 45’s, in the first they took seven attempts and in the second they had nine.
ODU’s Aguilar improves his overall record in net this season to 2-0 with two career starts. He made two saves on the night and Lenarcik made four. Both keepers played the full 90 minutes in goal.
Chapman, Dietze, and Kosuke Yoshikawa were the three outfield players for ODU who played a full 90 minutes. Lewis Rourke and Purks both finished tied for a team leading four shots but Purks edged the Preseason All-Sun Belt selection, 3-2 in shots on target.
UP NEXT:
ODU stays in the 757 and continues its five-game homestand. The Monarchs welcome Lehigh to the ODU Soccer Complex on Friday, August 28 at 7 p.m.