VMI Drops Season-Ending Match to HPU, 3-2

Men's Soccer VMIKeydets.com

VMI Drops Season-Ending Match to HPU, 3-2

LEXINGTON, Va. – In a match marred by 12 yellow cards, two of which led to ejections, the High Point Panthers defeated the VMI Keydets in dramatic fashion, 3-2 in overtime, to close out both team's regular seasons. The setback ended VMI's hopes of advancing to this year's Big South Tournament.

Despite the violations, the match was closely contested all day, and was not decided until Alex Martinez notched his second goal of the day, scoring in the 99th minute to give the Panthers (8-9-2, 4-4-1 Big South) the win and end VMI's (1-15-2, 1-7-1 Big South) season. Just six minutes prior to the game winner, the Keydets believed they had struck for the day's fifth goal. A Blake McCauley shot found the back of the net, but was waved off due to an offside violation, and Martinez went on to end the contest at 98:26.

The Keydets were assessed seven yellow cards on the afternoon, while High Point picked up five and an additional red card. Two of the yellows were assessed to VMI's Kip Zechman, while HPU's head coach, Dustin Fonder, also picked up two yellows, resulting in ejections.

The visitors put the pressure on VMI early on, and it led to the game's first goal. Kendall Lawson took the ball down the left side of the field, and dribbling on the far left of the box, found the feet of a sliding Martinez. The tipped ball went
by VMI keeper Adrian Dominguez and into the net, putting the Panthers up 1-0 less than five minutes into the match.

The home team then took control of the possession for several minutes, with two corner kicks and three shots going on the Keydet log from 11:58 through 13:02. HPU keeper Michael Chesler made two saves, however, and the Panthers counterattacked at 17:22 with a Lawson shot. Dominguez was up to the task, but HPU went on to earn three corner kicks over the next 3:30.

That pressure paid dividends in the 23rd minute, when Shane Malcolm made a run deep into the VMI zone. Dominguez came off his line, but Malcolm slipped a pass to Mamadee Nyepon across the box, and Nyepon took advantage with a quick shot into the open net for a 2-0 Panther lead.

The Keydets got on the board in the 31st minute. Kyle Farmer possessed the ball to Chesler's right, turned and fired a shot across the box, finding the back of the net for his second goal of the year. That cut the Keydet deficit to 2-1, and they made a bid in the final moments of the half to equalize the contest. After a High Point foul, Matt Seinfeld lined up for the free kick from 20 yards out. He blasted a shot from Chesler's left, but the HPU keeper was able to tip it over the crossbar, preserving the Panthers' 2-1 edge into halftime.

Both teams had chanced early in the second half, but it was Farmer who had the first shot on goal, testing Chesler at 59:32. The HPU keeper was up to the task, and Dominguez was as well, as he made a great sliding save on a blast from Nyepon in the 62nd minute. The Panthers misfired on a header off a 63rd minute corner, setting up a critical play in the match.

In the 68th minute, HPU had possession deep in its own zone. The ball was played back to Chesler, who picked it up, but was ruled to have done so illegally, due to the way the ball was played back to him. This resulted in a VMI free kick, and the Keydets ran a set play off the opportunity. David Rochow took advantage, scoring to tie the match, 2-2. Over the next minute, both HPU coach Fonder and the Panthers' Adam Sewell were ejected due to cards, leaving the visitors without their coach and one of their top midfielders.

Playing a man down, High Point kept its pressure up. In the 70th minute, a Todd Ray deep ball was nearly headed in, but Dominguez made a save at the last moment. Nyepon then appeared to have the go-ahead score, beating Dominguez in the 73rd minute, but Ayao Sossou cut behind the Keydet keeper and played the ball away for the team save, keeping the score tied. The officials conferred after Sossou's effort, but the team save stood and the score remained tied.

The Keydets had their chances over the final 10 minutes, including a Seinfeld corner in the 82nd minute that was placed perfectly across the goal. Chesler, however, came off his line to pluck it out of the air, thwarting the opportunity. Seinfeld also had a shot on goal at 84:16, but it bounced right to the HPU keeper for the relatively easy save.

In the final minute of regulation, the visitors made another push. The Keydets had another team save, stopping a Malcolm shot at 89:15, before Zechman got his second yellow card of the day with under 20 seconds remaining. That resulted in him being ejected, and HPU had a final free kick. Martinez got free for a shot try, but it went wide and the match headed to overtime.

After an early HPU offsides violation in overtime, the Keydets counterattacked in the 92nd minute. A shot bounced off the post, and McCauley was in perfect position for the rebound. He calmly put it past Chesler for what seemed to be the game-winner, setting off a mass celebration on the Keydet sideline. Unfortunately for VMI, after a brief moment to confer, the officials waved off the goal due to an offsides violation, keeping the score knotted at 2.

The Panthers came back in the 98th minute, as Martinez got free for a shot from 10 yards out on the left side. Due to his positioning, he was only able to tip the ball towards the goal in order to get it by Dominguez. The ball did, indeed, skitter by the VMI keeper, but it lightly deflected off the far post and the match stayed tied. That tie would be broken just 1:07 later, again by Martinez, as he scored the game-winner from eight yards out.

On the afternoon, High Point held a 18-10 edge in shots, while Chesler made five saves to four for Dominguez. There were 33 fouls called, 24 of which were after halftime, while the Panthers held a 12-5 edge in corner kicks. The VMI loss ended the playing careers for the five members of this year's senior class, each of whom was honored prior to the match.
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Players Mentioned

Adrian Dominguez

#0 Adrian Dominguez

GK
6' 4"
Senior
Kyle Farmer

#13 Kyle Farmer

F
6' 1"
Junior
Blake McCauley

#18 Blake McCauley

M
5' 10"
Freshman
David Rochow

#14 David Rochow

D
6' 0"
Junior
Matt Seinfeld

#8 Matt Seinfeld

M
5' 11"
Junior
Ayao Sossou

#4 Ayao Sossou

M
5' 6"
Senior
Kip Zechman

#20 Kip Zechman

M
6' 1"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Adrian Dominguez

#0 Adrian Dominguez

6' 4"
Senior
GK
Kyle Farmer

#13 Kyle Farmer

6' 1"
Junior
F
Blake McCauley

#18 Blake McCauley

5' 10"
Freshman
M
David Rochow

#14 David Rochow

6' 0"
Junior
D
Matt Seinfeld

#8 Matt Seinfeld

5' 11"
Junior
M
Ayao Sossou

#4 Ayao Sossou

5' 6"
Senior
M
Kip Zechman

#20 Kip Zechman

6' 1"
Junior
M