THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, September 24, 1994 TAG: 9409240403
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JULIE GOODRICH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
Old Dominion let down defensively in the second half and was saved by friendly posts and a goal by Cox's Bucky Silva, and the host Monarchs hung on for a 2-1 victory over the Air Force Academy Friday at the MetLife Soccer Tournament.
``I'm a little disappointed on how we handled the last 13 minutes. There was no structure, and we panicked,'' said Old Dominion coach Ralph Perez.
On Sunday, the Monarchs host Robert Morris at 3 p.m.
Playing at home for the first time this season, the Monarchs (3-2) came out like a team possessed. Air Force goalie Matt Mennell faced wave after wave of attacks before Old Dominion connected less than eight minutes into the game.
Gene Bowman charged into the box on the left side and delivered a cross to Geof Thompson, who was camped out in front.
Thompson put the ball on his shooting foot and drilled it directly at Mennell, who got a piece of the ball but couldn't keep it from sailing into the net.
The Falcons (5-2) didn't tally their first shot until 15 minutes had passed in the first half, but that's when the Monarchs started to cool down from their hot start.
Defender Tom Manning lost track of Air Force midfielder Daniel Clayton in front of the box. Clayton walked in and caught keeper Nathan Olansen flat-footed with a shot into the right corner of the goal.
``We made a mistake and they capitalized on it,'' said Perez. ``The kids came out and were really fired up, but that early goal took the edge off, and we went a little flat.''
Things didn't get much better in the second half.
Old Dominion got a few scoring chances off corner kicks, and Bowman and Milo Iniguez had excellent chances to beat Mennell, but failed to convert.
At the other end of the field, the Falcons kept rushing in on Olansen, who got a little help from his goalposts with 17:14 left to play when a wide-open shot by Matt Anderson banged off the crossbar and out of bounds.
About 90 seconds later the Monarchs finally converted a scoring chance, as Iniguez passed the ball across the goalmouth to Silva, who beat Mennell with a high shot that broke a 1-1 tie with 15:56 left.
Old Dominion dodged a bullet on the next Air Force attack as a shot by Anderson hit off the inside of the crossbar and bounced behind Olansen, who dove on the ball as the Falcons charged in for the kill.
In the tournament opener, 11th-ranked William and Mary held Robert Morris to just eight shots in a hard-hitting 2-0 victory. Referees called 52 fouls in the game.
The Tribe (7-0) scored both of their goals in the first half. Juan Hughes gave W&M a 1-0 lead at 20:13 with a shot off a cross by former Kempsville player Billy Owens. Chris Scrofani scored with 2:51 left in the half.
W&M plays Air Force on Sunday at 12:30. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MOTOYA NAKAMURA
William and Mary goalkeeper Paul Grafer soars to punch the ball away
against Robert Morris.
by CNB