NORFOLK, Va. - #22 Old Dominion men’s soccer dispatched UMBC, 5-1 at the ODU Soccer Complex on Friday night. ODU matches the Old Dominion team in 2012 who also began the season 6-0. ODU’s record for consecutive victories to begin the season came in 2003-04 when the Monarchs won their first 14 games.
“Another good performance tonight, I asked questions of the players after we conceded before halftime and they responded really well in the second half,” said ODU head coach Tennant McVea. “We have to keep improving and we have to keep holding our standards. It’s a quick turnaround for Monday. All the focus now is on recovering before going to play a Virginia Derby.”
Old Dominion (6-0) opened the scoring in the 11th minute from fourth year forward Lewis Rourke. He capitalized on an error by UMBC’s goalkeeper Joe Pollard who came too far out of his net to play sweeper keeper and got caught in no man’s land. Rourke fell upon a loose ball and an open net and slotted the ball into the bottom right corner for a 1-0 lead.
The Monarchs continued their first half scoring seven minutes later in the 18th minute. David Chapman scored from a corner kick that was delivered into the box by Barrett Saul. The fourth year midfielder crossed it in from the left handed corner flag and Chapman was waiting at the far post to head it in.
The Silver and Blue continued to apply pressure to the Retrievers and eventually gave ODU a three goal advantage. In the 28th minute ODU would score directly from a free kick. Head referee David Elliott requested a challenge on a one-one challenge by a UMBC defender on ODU first year forward George Maire.
Maire was judged to have been taken out just outside the box. Saul stepped up with left footer Ludovico Vicini standing to his right, but the ODU captain had his eyes set on goal. The fourth year midfielder transfer from West Virginia took his attempt and went under the wall towards the bottom left corner to take a 3-0 lead.
UMBC ended ODU’s quest for a clean sheet in the 40th minute from Flynn Holdem. ODU goalkeeper Alexander Aguilar parried one UMBC shot away from goal but the deflected effort fell to Holdem at the back post and he shot across his body to find the back of the net to make the score 3-1.
ODU scored again six minutes after the halftime break as Rourke secured his second brace of the season in the 51st minute. ODU’s Otu Bisong rapidly burst down the left wing on his favored left foot and got a bit of space to deliver a ball into Rourke. Rourke received the ball near the middle of the box and fired it past UMBC’s Pollard for his second goal of the game and a 4-1 ODU lead.
The final goal of the evening came from ODU third year forward Micah Wayland. ODU fourth year midfielder Jake Lane threaded a through ball directly down the middle of the pitch and onto the run of Wayland. Wayland used his body to beat his man, bringing him one-on-one with UMBC’s Pollard, and calmly slotted it past the keeper for a 5-1 lead.
The Silver and Blue took 18 shots with 11 shots on goal while delivering five corner kicks. The Retrievers took seven shots, four on goal, and had two corner attempts. ODU’s David Chapman was the only Monarch in the outfield to play 90 minutes. Rourke finished with four points from two goals while Chapman and Saul both scored one on the night. Saul, Bisong, and Lane all registered one assist.
Aguilar played 90 minutes in net and made three saves while conceding one goal. UMBC’s Pollard made six saves in 90 minutes of action and conceded five goals.
UP NEXT:
ODU travels to Richmond, Virginia for an in-state rivalry matchup against VCU on Monday, September 14 at 3 p.m.