Soccer: men down No. 15 Seahawks in 2OT, women falter in conference play

Adam Cheek

Contributing Writer

The VCU soccer teams combined for a 1-1-1 record over the past week, with the men’s squad adding a win to their record and the women’s team tallying a loss and a tie. Men’s soccer edged the University of North Carolina at Wilmington on Saturday by a score of 1-0, requiring two overtimes to down the #15-ranked Seahawks.

On the women’s side, Duquesne University just managed to get by the Rams 1-0 and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst Minutewomen were unable to break a stalemate against VCU, concluding the match in a 0-0 draw. The men improved to 4-3-1, and the women dropped to 5-3-3.

Men vs. UNC Wilmington

Nationally ranked UNC Wilmington provided the Black and Gold with a tough contest on Saturday, as the #15 Seahawks held VCU to a stalemate until the second overtime.

Freshman goalkeeper Mario Sequeira’s effort in the net showed off his stellar abilities, as he made seven saves on seven shots, notching his second career shutout in as many games.

Senior midfielder Rafael Andrade Santos was the hero of the affair, scoring the game-winning goal when only 17 seconds had ticked off the clock in the second overtime.

Junior midfielder Eli Lockaby and sophomore defenseman Ryo Shimazaki both tallied shots in the second half and UNCW collected two shots against Sequeira in the first overtime, but both were denied.

Freshman center-back Zeron Sewell received a second yellow card minutes into the second half — VCU played with one less man for the remainder of time, but the Black and Gold were not deterred, as they collected a much needed win against a top-tier opponent.

Women vs. UMASS

The University of Massachusetts Minutewomen visited the Rams on Sunday, with the match resulting in a 0-0 tie.

Requiring two overtimes to complete, the deflating stalemate came just after the Duquesne Dukes broke the Rams hearts 1-0 in overtime in an away game for the Black and Gold.

Junior forward Julia Suarez and freshman midfielder Samantha Jerabek each tallied four shots against UMASS, contributing to the team’s hefty total of 22.

Suarez, junior defenseman Stephanie Stahl and senior defenseman Megan Dell all had one shot on goal apiece for a team total of three.

Junior goalkeeper Audrey Sanderson added four phenomenal saves on the afternoon — UMASS could only muster four shots on goal themselves. VCU totaled 13 fouls, two more than the Minutewomen in what was a rugged, defensive match.

After two overtimes, the game ended with a 0-0 stalemate, leaving both sides proud of their back lines and searching for an offensive spark.

Women vs. Duquesne

Women’s soccer team was unable to hold off Duquesne on Thursday night, falling to the Dukes by a score of 1-0 — the Rams first loss in five games.

The game’s first 90 minutes resulted in a 0-0 draw, sending the evening into overtime. Just moments into the first overtime, Duquesne scored a ‘walk-off’ goal.

Sophomore midfielder Rachel Hardy paced the Black and Gold offense with three shots on the night, including two on goal. Junior midfielder Maddi Santo and freshman midfielder Kimberly Ito also notched two shots apiece, each putting one on goal.

Each side only mustered two shots the first half, and the score remained at 0-0 at halftime. The first 24 seconds of the second half provided the Rams with four shot opportunities and their best chances of the match, but none ended up in the back of the net.

The Wildcats of Davidson University will arrive in Richmond on Wednesday, Oct. 4, for a 7 p.m. faceoff with the VCU men’s team, who will look to tally their fifth win on the season. The VCU women’s squad will next face St. Joseph’s University on Thursday, Oct. 5, for a 7 p.m. match at Sports Backers Stadium.