Box Score LYNCHBURG, VA – The Randolph College men's soccer team had a bevy of chances in Wednesday evening's Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) matchup with Guilford College, but couldn't capitalize as the Quakers earned a 2-0 victory in play from WildCat Stadium.
Randolph (5-5-2/3-3-1 ODAC) had chances early on, but couldn't finish as junior Jacob Hood (New Market, MD/Linganore) and Corey Sindle (Gloucester, VA/Gloucester) each had opportunities. Guilford would settle in and took the lead 18:08 into the game on a goal from Freddy Gomez with help from Ronnie Castellanos. For Gomez, it was his 11th score of the season.
The WildCats strung together three straight corner kicks just after the goal, and junior Will Wolf (Goldsboro, NC/Cardinal Gibbons) had a chance ring off the crossbar and out. Hood would have a shot two minutes later, by Guilford keeper Michael MacVane was up to the task. Neither team would post another good scoring threat during the half, but GC may have lost a senior leader in Drew Gunter, who was carted off the field with an apparent leg injury.
In the second half, both squads came out of the gate firing with MacVane and reserve keeper Carter Smith (Greensboro, NC/Grimsley) each making nice saves. Early on in the second half Randolph had a great opportunity on a cross, but junior John Adams (Lynchburg, VA/E.C. Glass) couldn't connect on a crossing pass to an open net, missing the pass by inches. Later in the half, an indirect free kick was awarded to Randolph in the box just five yards off-set from goal, but the header from Tyler Gilchrist (Bedford ,VA/Liberty) was just wide.
The best chance of the entire game for Randolph came with just under 10 minutes to play, as the WildCats were awarded a penalty kick after a foul in the box. Junior back Nick Reemtsen (Richmond, VA/James River) stepped up and attempted the shot, but MacVane dove to his left and Reemtsen's shot up the middle was stopped by the keeper's feet.
The hosts would continue to earn corner after corner, with Wolf having two headers glance just high over the crossbar. With the waning seconds counting down, a long ball was knocked around and Matthew Poling scored with three seconds left to put the game away.
The WildCats outshot their visitors 14-12, and picked up 12 corners to only two from Guilford. In a very physical game that saw Gunter and Gomez both leave and not return, the two teams combined for 38 fouls and four yellow cards. Smith and starter CJ Stevens (Mechanicsville, VA/Lee-Davis) teamed to make five saves for Randolph, and MacVane chalked up the clean sheet with five saves.
Randolph will return to action this Saturday when the Maroons of Roanoke College comes to town in WildCat Stadium for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
--RANDOLPH--
