"We’ve worked on ourselves a lot this week to look more threatening and try and be more in control of the game,” said ODU Head Coach Will Roberts. "I think we managed to do so, we continued to push with the correct mentality to try and win the game. Step in the right direction, another clean sheet and a set piece goal is big for us, happy for Libby [Holmes] to get her first ODU goal."
Old Dominion (4-5-2, 2-0-2 SBC) scored the game-winning goal in the 72nd minute from a corner kick. ODU’s Ally Richardson lifted a ball into the box but couldn’t find a head to make contact with, the ball fell to Ashlynn Kulha near the goal line, but she scuffed her shot and it was saved by USA’s (3-6-2, 1-2-1 SBC) Sierra Giorgio. Dylan McEntarfer was next to pounce on the loose ball but had a shot blocked, the deflection fell to Libby Holmes who finished the job by heading the ball into the back of the net for a 1-0 score.
The Monarchs had their first shot on target in the 17th minute from Holmes. Richardson was on corner kick duty and found the defender attacking the far post, but Holmes didn’t put enough power on her header as Giorgio made the save. Holmes had another chance from a corner kick, but her header had enough power but not enough accuracy as it flew over the bar.
Koto Davis had the Silver and Blue’s next strike on goal, she received the ball on her left foot near the right wing. The Baltimore, Maryland native drove towards the edge of the box and tried to wrap her foot around her shot and made good contact. But her effort was not enough to beat Giorgio as the keeper positioned herself well to deny a goal.
ODU had a chance to score from another corner kick but Ashlynn and Reese Kulha both had their attempts blocked by USA defenders in the 41st minute. Laura Klebek had the final chance of the first half to score the game’s opening goal, she connected with her shot from outside the box, but the shot went right at Giorgio who reeled it in as the game went into the halftime break scoreless.
The Monarchs conceded one shot in the first 45 minutes at the sixth minute mark, but the Jaguars were held without another attempt until the 67th minute.
The first real action of the second half came in the 57th minute as Riley Mullen was one-on-one against a South Alabama defender and got a step to beat her marker. She lined up and ripped a shot towards the roof of the net, but Giorgio got a glove on the shot and redirected it over the net for a corner.
USA’s Aliya Gomez had a great chance after a good bit of play from the Jaguars in the 67th. They passed through ODU’s back line and eventually Gomez had a one-on-one with Goodrich in the middle of the box. But the senior goalkeeper from Alexandria, Virginia came up huge for the Silver and Blue and got a crucial deflection to make the save and clear the danger as ODU secured a 1-0 win. South Alabama would not have another shot for the rest of the game.
ODU outshot USA, 18-4 and 8-2 in shots on goal. The Monarchs had a +5-corner kick advantage after racking up eight attempts to the Jaguars’ three. Grace Hillis, Dylan McEntarfer, and Ashlynn Kulha all played a full 90 minutes in defense and Holmes led the team with three shots, two shots on target, and one goal. Ashlynn Kulha had three shots with one shot on goal, Davis had two shots with both on target, and Mullen had two shots with one shot on target.
Goodrich picked up her third consecutive clean sheet and her fifth of the season. Her record in goal improves to 3-4-2 and she made two saves in the winning effort. Giorgio made seven saves and conceded one goal in 90 minutes of action for USA.
UP NEXT:
The Monarchs return to the ODU Soccer Complex on Thursday, October 8 for a matchup against Marshall at 6 p.m.