Men's Soccer Falls to Marshall, 2-0

Men's Soccer VMIKeydets.com

Men's Soccer Falls to Marshall, 2-0

Box Score HUNTINGTON, W. Va. – The VMI men's soccer team dropped a 2-0 decision to the Marshall Thundering Herd Wednesday evening, in a non-conference road contest played in Huntington, W, Va.

The eventual game-winning goal was scored early for the Herd (4-4-1), as in only the third minute of play, the Keydets (1-7) failed to clear a ball from deep within their zone. The errant attempt was picked up by Marshall's Tom Jackson, who fired a shot past VMI keeper Brian Sowell to give Marshall a 1-0 lead, an advantage they would not relinquish.

After the opening goal, the two teams played in the midfield for several minutes, before the home team had a sustained offensive effort. Four shots between 8:06 and 19:30 went for naught, with three of them being blocked by Keydet defenders. VMI came right back in the 28th and 29th minute, looking for the equalizer with three shots of its own. However, Brian Harding and Kip Zechman were each stopped by Marshall keeper Daniel Withrow. Zechman then fired a shot wide, ending the Keydet attack on that occasion.

The game was mostly played in the middle third of the field for the next 10 minutes, before the Herd struck for its second score. Fayanga Keita of Marshall found teammate Matt Butler on a right-to-left pass. Butler fired a shot to the far past, beating Sowell and giving the Herd a 2-0 edge, accounting for the final margin.

Marshall pressed early in the second half, looking to break the game open. However, Sowell stopped three shots in the first 13 minutes to keep the score 2-0. Jacob MacIntyre had a header attempt for VMI in the 61st minute, but Withrow turned back the Keydets on that occasion. An attempt by Zechman moments later went wide, as did an Amir Shihata shot in the 66th minute.

The next 17 minutes were a defensive struggle, as only three shots were attempted. VMI's lone attempt during that time, another Zechman attempt, went wide. The teams exchanged shots without incident in the 83rd minute, and a Marshall attempt in the 85th went wide. The final threat of the day came in the 87th minute, when Zach Morgan forced Withrow to make his final save of the day, ensuring that Marshall would hold on for a 2-0 win.

For the evening, Marshall held an 18-9 edge in shot attempts, with the shots-on-goal margin being much slimmer at 5-4. Sowell stopped three shots for the Keydets, all in the second half, while Withrow made four saves for the homestanding Herd.

VMI men's soccer will return to action Wednesday, Oct. 7, as the Keydets begin a four-game homestand at Patchin Field by taking on the Howard Bison. Game time is set for 4 p.m., and the game is scheduled to be broadcast on the Big South Network.
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Players Mentioned

Brian Harding

#18 Brian Harding

M
5' 11"
Junior
Jacob MacIntyre

#11 Jacob MacIntyre

F
6' 1"
Sophomore
Zach Morgan

#14 Zach Morgan

F
5' 11"
Junior
Amir Shihata

#10 Amir Shihata

M
5' 9"
Sophomore
Brian Sowell

#0 Brian Sowell

GK
6' 3"
Junior
Kip Zechman

#20 Kip Zechman

M
6' 1"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Brian Harding

#18 Brian Harding

5' 11"
Junior
M
Jacob MacIntyre

#11 Jacob MacIntyre

6' 1"
Sophomore
F
Zach Morgan

#14 Zach Morgan

5' 11"
Junior
F
Amir Shihata

#10 Amir Shihata

5' 9"
Sophomore
M
Brian Sowell

#0 Brian Sowell

6' 3"
Junior
GK
Kip Zechman

#20 Kip Zechman

6' 1"
Freshman
M