THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 1, 1996 TAG: 9608010320
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C12 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY REA FARMER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 53 lines
The Hampton Roads Mariners needed just one win in their last four games. One regulation win, that is.
Nate Houser tipped in a shootout goal to give the Mariners a 4-3 victory over the Richmond Kickers Wednesday night at First Colonial.
Unfortunately for the Mariners, a shootout victory counts for only one point instead of the three awarded for a regulation win.
Which mean the Mariners (16-4, 11-3) still need to win one of their final three Select League games to clinch a playoff spot. They face league-leading Carolina on Saturday and second-place South Carolina on Sunday.
Wednesday night, a crowd of 1,382 braved the elements to witness the soccer saga. The game was delayed 55 minutes due to lightning, stopped briefly for a fracas on the field in the second half then halted again for an injury. The Mariners and Kickers were tied at 3 during regulation, then battled through a scoreless overtime before taking a 3-2 shootout advantage for the win.
Forward Jesse Marsch, who trains with and plays for Major League-affiliate D.C. United, went down in the 89th minute. According to Mariners' trainer Stu Bender, Marsch suffered a probable fractured ankle and will be out for six to eight weeks.
At 26:29 of the second half, Kicker Brandon Ward and Mariner Jim McGeough tangled then engaged in an altercation. Players from both teams struggled to separate the two. Ward, who played for the Mariners last season, and McGeough were both handed red-card ejections. McGeough joined the Mariners Wednesday to fill the vacant sweeper role down the stretch. He will be unable to play Saturday against Carolina due to the ejection.
The physical showdown developed early when a Richmond defender tripped Mariners forward Darren Eales in the box. Chris Penny blasted the ensuing penalty kick for a 1-0 lead. Richmond responded 40 minutes in when Ruben Espinoza lifted a curving shot past Mariners keeper Matt Olson.
Marsch smoked a midfield shot toward the goal and Joe Herrmann tipped it into the net to put Hampton Roads up 2-1 midway through the second half. Again Richmond responded as Jon Hall sliced in a shot just five minutes later.
Mark Waite punched in a pass from Ryan Leib for a 3-2 margin, but Hall struck again with less than 10 minutes remaining for the regulation ties.
In the shootout, Richmond's Rob Ukrop went first and scored, then Mariners Scott Lawler responded by lifting a shot over Kickers keeper Joe O'Carroll. Chico Contreras and Leib both shot wide, then Kickers Matt Borgard raced around Olson and scored for a 2-1 Kickers' shootout advantage.
Mariner Lang Wedemeyer and Kicker Neil Ryan each had his shot blocked then Waite bounced a scoring shot off the keeper to tie the shootout. Hall missed his attempt, but Houser tipped a shot over O'Carroll for the victory. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
MARTIN SMITH-RODDEN/The Virginian-Pilot
Jesse Marsch, left, of the Mariners is shadowed by Richmond's Jon
Hall. Marsch suffered an ankle injury during the match. by CNB