Men?s Soccer Travels to Gardner-Webb Saturday Night

Men's Soccer VMIKeydets.com

Men's Soccer Falls to Presbyterian, 1-0

Box Score CLINTON, S.C. – The VMI Keydets dropped their regular season finale to the Presbyterian College Blue Hose, 1-0, in a Big South men's soccer contest played Saturday night in Clinton, S.C. Following the match, it was announced that the eighth-seeded Keydets will play the top-seeded Coastal Carolina Chanticleers in this year's Big South Tournament, scheduled to begin Thursday in High Point, N.C.

Saturday's lone goal came in the 42nd minute. As Presbyterian put pressure on in the box, VMI keeper Brian Sowell made a pair of saves. However, the second save rebounded to PC's Juan Ocampo, who found Paul Gunning with a pass in the center of the box. Gunning fired the shot past Sowell for his first goal of the season, a score that VMI could not overcome.

With the setback, VMI concludes the regular season with a 2-14-1 mark and a 1-7 record in Big South play. Presbyterian moves to 3-11-2 and 2-4-2 in conference action, but does not qualify for the Big South Tournament due to the status of their transition into Division I.

Saturday's game opened with a good deal of midfield play, as the game's first shot was not taken until the 8:43 mark, when Amir Shihata had a try blocked. Neither team could muster another effort until the 16th minute, when Brandon Gary put a try on net that Blue Hose keeper Andrew Wallingford stopped. Sowell made his first save 24 seconds later, and the pace of the contest picked up a bit from there.

The Keydets put the pressure on early in the 21st minute, as Jacob MacIntyre had two shots on goal just five seconds apart, but Wallingford was equal to the task on both, keeping the match scoreless. PC did not muster another try until the 30th minute, when a Blue Hose player fired a shot wide of the net. The home team tested Sowell in the 36th and 38th minute, putting a shot on net in each, but the VMI keeper was equal to the task and the match remained scoreless.

The VMI netminder made his fourth save of the half at 39:04, when he turned aside a Manning Rushton header, setting the stage for the sequence that led to Gunning's goal. Sowell made one more save in the final moments of the half, giving him seven for the first 45 minutes of play.

The teams each had a pair of shots miss the goal in the first handful of minutes in the second period, as the first attempt on net came at 56:15, when Shihata was stopped by Wallingford. At 58:15, the complexion of the game changed a bit, as Ayao Sossou was whistled for a yellow card. The game would be penalty-marred the rest of the way, as two red cards and three yellows would be assessed over the next 29 minutes of play.

Late in the 67th minute, PC's Zach Sinkuler was ejected via a red card, giving VMI a man advantage and a prime chance to square the contest. Moments later, Shihata and Chris Curtis each had attempts stopped by Wallingford, as PC clung to its 1-0 lead. The Blue Hose defense held, and at the 79:33 mark, Sossou was whistled for his second yellow, which necessitated his removal from the match and squared the sides at 10 men apiece. From there, VMI could only muster one more shot on goal, as Curtis had a try turned away in the 89th minute.

For the game, Presbyterian held the edge in shots, 14-12, and also paced the Keydets in shots on goal, 8-7. The Blue Hose won despite not having an attempt on net in the second half, as all seven of Sowell's saves came in the first 45 minutes. Wallingford made seven saves as well, with four of them coming in the second half.

VMI men's soccer will return to action Thursday, as the Keydets take part in the first round of the 2009 Big South Men's Soccer Championship by playing top-seeded Coastal Carolina. The VMI/CCU regular season matchup took nearly 100 minutes to decide a winner, as Coastal Carolina's Matt Schroeder tallied a score with 12 seconds left in the first overtime period to give the Chanticleers a 1-0 win in Conway, S.C., marking the second-consecutive year VMI's matchup with the Chants has gone to extra time. The winner will advance to Friday's semifinals, where they will play the victor of the 4/5 matchup, Winthrop versus Gardner-Webb.

The first round game is set for 2:30 p.m. at High Point's home field, and the contest will be broadcast live on the Big South Network.
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Players Mentioned

Chris Curtis

#16 Chris Curtis

M
5' 7"
Junior
Brandon Gary

#5 Brandon Gary

D
5' 11"
Sophomore
Jacob MacIntyre

#11 Jacob MacIntyre

F
6' 1"
Sophomore
Amir Shihata

#10 Amir Shihata

M
5' 9"
Sophomore
Ayao Sossou

#44 Ayao Sossou

D
5' 6"
Sophomore
Brian Sowell

#0 Brian Sowell

GK
6' 3"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Chris Curtis

#16 Chris Curtis

5' 7"
Junior
M
Brandon Gary

#5 Brandon Gary

5' 11"
Sophomore
D
Jacob MacIntyre

#11 Jacob MacIntyre

6' 1"
Sophomore
F
Amir Shihata

#10 Amir Shihata

5' 9"
Sophomore
M
Ayao Sossou

#44 Ayao Sossou

5' 6"
Sophomore
D
Brian Sowell

#0 Brian Sowell

6' 3"
Junior
GK