Rams keep Huskies, Pride off the board

VCU men’s soccer held Northeastern and Hofstra scoreless over the weekend, earning a 1-0 win against the Huskies and a tie against the Pride to solidify its hold on fourth place in the Colonial Athletic Association.

Despite the cold weather, roughly 200 fans came out to cheer on the Rams to a victory over Northeastern Friday night.

After a scoreless tie against Hofstra Sunday, the Rams sixth shutout of the season lifted the team’s record to 4-2-3 in the conference and 6-8-3 overall.

Ball control in the first half Friday went back and forth between teams as both the Rams and the Huskies struggled to set up an offense. VCU outshot Northeastern 5-2 in the first 45 minutes of play, but the shots they did manage were often rushed as Huskies defenders swarmed the ball.

Coach Tim O’Sullivan noted the Huskies’ staunch defense after the game.

“They are a pretty tough team to play against, and you really have to work to find a scoring opportunity.”

The momentum shifted however with about eight minutes left in the half as the Rams were able to set up an offensive perimeter, displaying great ball movement.

That offensive presence would carry over into the second half when sophomore Pat Viray (Reston/ South Lakes High School) scored the lone goal of the game, his sixth of the season.

Four minutes in to the second period, Viray received a pass from junior Evan Morris (Springfield/ Byram Hills High School). Viray, out-dribbling three defenders, positioned himself in front of Huskies goalie Sergio Saccoccio and scooted the ball into the net from five yards out.

“When that happens, you really don’t think, it just comes to you,” Viray said about scoring his game-winning goal. “I just want to get away from this guy, then get away from that guy and then the goal is there so I plug it in.”

O’Sullivan was proud of his new leading goal scorer, who now has more than senior Brian Morris'(Sprinfield/ Byram Hills High School) five goals.

“It was good to see him score a goal,” O’ Sullivan said. “He always finds a way to put himself in the right place. He’s pretty sharp, but now he just needs to be a little more assertive.”

Viray and Morris have both benefited from the defensive attention senior Dominic Oduro (Accra, Ghana) has drawn all season. With Oduro frequently double and triple teamed, the two are able to get more open looks at the goal.

“Well obviously they’re gonna look at Dominic,” Viray said. “They’re going to be concentrating a lot more on Dominic so I don’t have as much pressure as he does which gives me an edge.”

Oduro had a chance to display his athletic ability in the 65th minute, when he grabbed control of the ball and ran the length of the field, out-sprinting everyone on the field before shooting the ball wide.

“Dominic is as fast as it gets,” shouted Mark Dalton, an accountant and a 1975 graduate of VCU. “He’s about the best player they’ve had in years.”

For the rest of the game all the Huskies could do was hope to clear the ball from their half of the field as the Rams kept up the offensive pressure.

“We were pretty disciplined and balanced,” O’Sullivan said. “We kept the ball for long stretches of time.”

The Rams have two games left to play against UNC Wilmington and James Madison before the CAA championship tournament. The Rams qualify for the tournament if they finish in the top six in standings.

Morris is confident his team will make it as long as their defense holds up.

“I’d say (the key) is not giving up goals,” he said. “If you don’t give up a goal you’re not going to lose. That’s what we’ve been getting better at during the season, and we still need to keep that up.”