BUENA VISTA, VA – The Randolph College men's soccer team shook off a slow first-half start to knock off the Knights of Southern Virginia University 4-1 in non-conference play Thursday afternoon from The Fields at Southern Virginia in the 2011 season opener for the WildCats .

Play was tough from the start, and SVU (2-1) had a few chances early on though none came to fruition. Randolph (1-0) opened the scoring 17:36 into the contest on a very strange play. SVU keeper Robert Key came off his line to get a loose ball but collided with his own teammate, dislodging the ball to Randolph senior Timmy Songer (Windsor, VA/Windsor) who blasted it home from 15 yards out for the opening goal of the season.

The game would stay locked at 1-0 going into the intermission, as SVU outshot the WildCats 7-6 in the first half, earning three corners to only one for the visitors. The second half turned out to be all Randolph, as it outshot the host Knights 12-4 and posted an 8-0 advantage in corner kicks.

The WildCats made the score 2-0 early on in the second half, as John Vecchietti (Annandale, VA/W.T. Woodson) won a ball in the SVU defensive third, played a perfect cross to Jacob Hood (New Market, MD/Linganore) who headed it the ball past Key for his first tally of the season. SVU pulled to within one at the 55:01 mark of the game on Josh Smith's third goal of the year.

Randolph answered right back though, as Songer took a corner kick and placed it right to the head of sophomore back Will Wolf (Goldsboro, NC/Cardinal Gibbons), who headed it home for his third career goal. Songer finished his amazing day with another goal, this time bending in a corner kick with his right foot at 62:39 to end the scoring.

Randolph ended the game with an 18-11 shot advantage, while earning nine total corner kicks, two of which it scored in. The game was very physical as well, as five cautions were handed out, three going to WildCat players.

First-year CJ Stevens (Mechanicsville, VA/Lee-Davis) earned his first career victory in net for the WildCats after making two stops, and Carter Smith (Greensboro, NC/Grimsley) relieved him to make one save in 26:40 of action. Key finished with six saves in his first collegiate start in net for the Knights.

First-year back Coulton Watson (Virginia Beach, VA/Salem) started and played very well in his first college cap, while fellow defender Nick Reemtsen (Richmond, VA/James River) was active on defense as well as on offense taking three shots with two just barely missing the goal.

Randolph returns to the field Saturday afternoon for its home opener as Shenandoah University comes to WildCat Stadium at 3 p.m. for a non-conference tussle.

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