October 24, 2009

RAMS WIN SECOND STRAIGHT CAA MATCH WITH 3-1 VICTORY AGAINST TOWSON
Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. – A pair of goals in the first 12 minutes of the opening period allowed Virginia Commonwealth University to roll past Towson 3-1 Saturday at Sports Backers Stadium.

With the win, the Rams pick up their second straight Colonial Athletic Association win, improving to 5-7-2 overall and 2-5-1 in conference play.  Towson slips to 6-8-0, 3-5-0 in CAA action.

“I was really impressed with our guys and the way that they started the game,” said VCU Head Coach Tim O’Sullivan.  “That was one of the best 30 minutes of soccer that we have had to date.  We got the ball moving and really had Towson on their heels right away.”

VCU dominated the first half of play firing 11 of its 18 shots with six on target, while Towson managed just two shots with the first coming 30 minutes after kickoff.

The Rams were on attack from the start of the game and got on the board just over two minutes into the contest.  Thomas Huepper gathered a loose ball in the middle of the field and fired a strike from 25 yards out into the lower left of the net to give the Black & Gold a 1-0 lead.

The Rams continued to pressure as James Neighbour dribbled across the middle of the pitch and sent a shot from just outside the box into the lower right in the 11th minute to give VCU a two-goal advantage.

The teams battled the remainder of the opening period before the Rams took a 2-0 lead into the locker room.

Romario Blandon slipped a pass through the legs of a Towson defender to Neighbour, who sent a touch pass to Owusu Seykere at the top of the box in the 48th minute.  Seykere sent a strike from 17 yards away into the lower left of the net to give VCU a 3-0 advantage.

“We came out with that same intensity in the second half and got that third goal,” said O’Sullivan.  “That was really important for us in maintaining the lead.”

Towson got on the board six minutes later as Stefan Froedert dribbled down the left sideline and sent a cross in front of the net to Liam Maloney, whose header sailed to the right of VCU goalkeeper Gabriel Rodriguez to pull the Tigers within a pair of goals.

Rodriguez made two crucial saves down the stretch to keep Towson out of the net.  In the 71st minute, Maxx Hurkamp headed a point blank shot before Rodriguez made a diving save on a strike by Marco Mangione in the 88th minute.

“I’m really pleased with the guys in terms of getting rewarded again for a great game,” O’Sullivan said after the Rams scored three goals for the second straight game.  “All the hard work will hopefully keep coming and give us more of an idea of what we’re capable of.”