Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 21, 1995 TAG: 9505230037
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ANDREA KUHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Things did not look good for the Roanoke RiverDawgs early Saturday night.
The Dawgs played the first half without starters Dante Washington and Byron Mitchell, managed only two shots on goal, saw a player kicked out and trailed by two goals at halftime.
Roanoke rallied in the second half to tie the score at 2, but Richmond scored two late goals to send the Dawgs to a 4-2 defeat before a crowd of about 600 at Cave Spring Junior High School. It was the second loss in as many days for Roanoke, which plays in the Premier/Amateur Division of the United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues.
Coach Sam Okpodu started his first game in midfield for the RiverDawgs, who also got limited play from injured forward Mark Ellis.
``Once you have a plan, then you have to readjust, it's hard just to try and figure out who needs to be where. ... The wheels did not roll too well today,'' said Okpodu, who is nursing a hamstring injury similar to the one that hampered Washington.
Roanoke started the second half a man down after midfielder Dustin Fonder was given a red card for a flagrant foul with 7.5 seconds remaining in the first half. Fonder, a former Roanoke College standout, was running down Richmond's Brian Kamler in the box on a breakaway when Fonder grabbed Kamler's jersey and the two tumbled to the ground.
Fonder was called for a flagrant foul and kicked out of the game. Richmond also was awarded a penalty kick, which former Virginia player Brian Bates converted at the 29:56 mark to make it 2-0.
Fonder said he thought the Kickers shouldn't have received the penalty kick.
``That was just a bad call,'' he said. ``It should have been a red card or a penalty kick, but not both.''
But the RiverDawgs came out rejuvenated in the second half, and midfielder Eric McClellan made it 2-1 at the 36:05 mark. McClellan took a pass from Roanoker Grayson Prillaman and lofted the ball over Richmond goalkeeper Jeff Causey, another former UVa standout.
Washington, his right thigh heavily wrapped, entered the game 10 minutes into the second half and scored the tying goal at the 47:08 mark on an assist by McClellan.
But Roanoke's high didn't last long. Richmond's Michael Brady scored on a breakaway against Dawgs keeper Aaron Ewert to make it 3-2 at the 54:44 mark, a goal Okpodu called ``a killer.''
``That third goal was the deciding factor,'' Okpodu said. ``They just got pumped up. They were feeling bad after giving up a 2-0 lead. Then they scored and got all the adrenaline going.''
Roanoke, which was outshot 23-12, couldn't muster a response and Richmond finished the scoring on a goal by Mike Clark at 55:11.
Okpodu said it is now his job to get the RiverDawgs (2-2) back on track, a formidable task considering the team will have Washington and McClellan for only one more game. Both players will depart after Roanoke's May 27 game against Charlotte for the Washington Warthogs, a professional indoor team.
``That's going to be my sleepless night now, thinking about replacing McClellan and Dante,'' Okpodu said.
by CNB