NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion women’s soccer dismantled Marshall, 3-0 on Thursday night at the ODU Soccer Complex. Forward Ashley Economopoulos scored a brace for her first points of the season and ODU’s defense has not conceded a goal in 470 minutes of action.
“I’m very proud of the group tonight, we executed the game plan, looked more threatening once again, and it is something we need to continue to build on,” said ODU Head Coach Will Roberts. “Happy for Ashley [Economopoulos] to get a brace and Dylan [McEntarfer] got what she deserves with a goal and assist. We now recover and focus for a big game at JMU this weekend.”
Old Dominion’s (5-5-2, 3-0-2 SBC) Economopoulos scored the game-winning goal in the 39th minute. Grace Hillis fed a ball to Dylan McEntarfer near the halfway line. McEntarfer delivered a long ball over the top of the Thundering Herd’s (6-3-4, 2-1-2 SBC) back line and the ball found Economopoulos just inside the box. The Grantville, Pennsylvania native lofted her header high in the air and perfectly placed it into the top corner to take a 1-0 lead.
Economopoulos wasn’t done, at the 43rd minute mark she won the ball at midfield, beat her marker who tried to drag her down by her shirt, and bombed forward against three Herd defenders. She pulled to fire a shot from just about 30 yards out and struck it with her laces to generate power. The shot arched high in the air and flew into the top left corner of the net to take a 2-0 lead into the halftime break.
Old Dominion outshot Marshall, 8-2 in the first 45, and had a 3-1 advantage on corner kick attempts. Marshall’s best opportunity to score a goal in the half came in the 31st minute, Wiktoria Mikrut capitalized on some sloppy possession by the Monarchs and found herself on her favored left foot from just outside the box. She wrapped her foot around the ball to try and curl her shot towards the top corner but the post was Ellie Goodrich’s best friend on the play as it ricocheted away from danger.
Marshall made a goalkeeper change at the half where Katie McCutcheon replaced Romina Olmedo. ODU scored its third goal of the game on its first shot in the second half in the 56th minute. ODU was awarded a corner kick on the left-hand side, Laura Klebek stepped up to provide the delivery, and the ball connected with the head of McEntarfer at the far post. She knocked it over the goal line for a 3-0 advantage for the Silver and Blue.
The Monarchs had the next 10 shots in the second half before Marshall responded with a chance of its own.
Marshall had their first two shots on target of the night in the 81st and the 87th minute. Larissa Ozorio had a long range attempt at goal but Goodrich corralled the ball for the save. Delfina Lombardi had the final chance but her shot didn’t test Goodrich who made an easy save as the Monarchs saw out a convincing 3-0 win.
ODU outshot MU, 19-4, and had a 5-2 advantage in shots on goal. The Monarchs allowed the Thundering Herd one corner kick in 90 minutes but were awarded six. McEntarfer and Holmes both played 90 minutes in the winning effort and Mullen led the Monarchs with a team high four shots.
Goodrich played 90 minutes in goal and made two saves while recording her fifth-consecutive clean sheet and sixth this season. The Alexandria, Virginia native improves her record in net to 4-4-2.
UP NEXT:
The Monarchs head to Harrisonburg, Virginia for the latest chapter in the TowneBank Royal Rivalry at James Madison on Sunday, October 11 at 6 p.m.