BOONE, N.C. - Old Dominion women’s soccer split the Sun Belt Conference points at App State as the Monarchs drew the Mountaineers, 0-0 at the Appalachian Soccer Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
“It’s a point on the road, I think as a group we wanted to get all three from this game and believed we could,” said ODU Head Coach Will Roberts. “But App State played well and defended intensely. I think in the first half we controlled the game well, created chances, and gave up zero shots. As a group we need to become more threatening in front of goal and I need to work on a way for us to do that so that’s the game plan for this week.”
Old Dominion (3-5-2, 1-0-2 SBC) stymied the Mountaineers’ (7-1-3, 2-0-1 SBC) offense in the first half and held them to zero shots. ODU outshot App State, 4-0 with three shots on target and had a 2-1 corner kick advantage. Ashley Economopoulos had the Silver and Blue’s first shot on goal in the 28th minute when she received the ball just outside the box, she lofted a shot high and towards goal, but Hanna Skogsfors claimed it.
Reese Kulha had an attempt blocked by a Mountaineer defender in the 37th minute but the ball deflected out for a corner kick. Ally Richardson took the set piece and whipped in the ball on her right foot, but Skogsfors snagged the ball on the goal line. ODU’s final chance before the break was taken by Laura Klebek from outside the box in the 42nd minute, she drove the ball with her right foot and made good contact, but the shot was hard and low and straight at Skogsfors who made the stop.
The Mountaineers grew more into the game in the second half and outshot the Monarchs, 4-2 in the half. Hannah Morgan had the first chance of the final stanza in the 48th minute. She received the ball inside the box and turned out wide to beat her defender. After getting a step ahead she fired to the bottom right of the net but Skogsfors positioned herself well and made the stop.
Economopoulos had ODU’s final shot in the 62nd minute but it didn’t get a chance to test Skogsfors as it was blocked away by an App State defender. The ball deflected and sparked a Mountaineer counterattack which would result in their first shot of the game. Sofia Goclowski lined up to shoot from outside the box and fired it but Ashlynn Kulha put a foot in to block the attempt.
App State’s Lucy Harrington registered the Mountaineers’ only shot on target in the 72nd minute. ODU conceded a corner kick and Harrington got on the end of a cross at the far post, but Ellie Goodrich had her near post covered and recorded a save.
App State's next chance came from a free kick that was just outside the box in the 84th minute. ODU’s Mia Serna held onto the App State players jersey for a touch too long and a foul was called. The Mountaineers initiated a VAR review to determine whether the referee’s decision could be changed to a penalty kick, but the foul was confirmed to have occurred just outside the box. Libby Bermingham stepped up to take the set piece, she fired hard, high, and over the net.
ODU conceded a throw into the Mountaineers in its defensive final third. App State heaved the ball into the box to cause chaos and Olivia Simon pounced upon the ball to fire towards goal. Her attempt was blocked away by ODU’s Libby Holmes and eventually went out for a goal kick to clear the danger.
The Silver and Blue had the final corner kick of the game in the 86th minute and Katie Lutz fired in a cross but could not find a teammate to head it home as the ball went out for a goal kick.
ODU’s Dylan McEntarfer and Ashlynn Kulha played a full 90 minutes in the outfield while Grace Hillis and Holmes tallied 78 minutes of action. Economopoulos led the Monarchs with two shots and tied with Morgan, Klebek, and Richardson with one shot on goal.
Goodrich has kept back-to-back clean sheets and has four this season. She played 90 minutes in net, made one save, and has a record of 2-4-2 in net.
UP NEXT:
The Monarchs return to the 757 for back-to-back home SBC matchups. First up is a meeting with South Alabama on Saturday, October 3 at 7 p.m. and then ODU hosts Marshall on Thursday, October 8 at 6 p.m.