Box Score For immediate release – 10/24/2015 - #088
WildCats Send Off Seniors in Style with 6-0 Victory
LYNCHBURG, VA – As the Randolph College men's soccer team hosted Senior Day on Saturday, the WildCats honored the three with a 6-0 win over Emory & Henry College in Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) play. CJ Stevens, Julian Khalili, and Grant Collier were with their parents and family members before and all played a big role during the game.
The 'Cats came out as the aggressor with the large Homecoming crowd spurring them on. Blake Heatherly ripped a shot from the top of the box that was punched out by Didier Grillet just over six minutes in, giving Randolph a corner kick. Heatherly sent the service to the back post, which deflected off the chest of an E&H defender into the back of the net, giving Randolph a 1-0 lead.
The Wasps earned a few chances in the next few minutes, but Randolph added to its lead after sending some subs into the game. One of those, Adam Watson, streaked up the right side, beat one defender, and crossed it to the top of the box, where Heatherly fired it into the back of the net, giving the 'Cats a 2-0 lead 20 minutes in.
Then in the 40th, the WildCats earned another corner kick, and Joseph Thames found a cutting Cristian Irigoyen on the front post who snuck his kick in the back of the net for his first of the year. Stevens made two saves in the half to send Randolph into the intermission with a 3-0 lead.
The 'Cats continued to attack in the second, with several shots going awry of the woodwork. But the pressure mounted, with Heatherly taking a corner in the 67th. He went short but followed his initial pass right near the Randolph bench. He sent a cross in and Salvador Ramirez bounced it off his head to Sam Griffith who kicked it into the back of the net.
Randolph was not done, as four minutes later the WildCats increased the lead to 5-0. Khalili hit Ramirez with a pass just over midfield, and Ramirez made a nice touch pass to Ryan Kyler as the goalie was closing in. Kyler chipped it over Grillet for the goal.
Khalili then cemented the victory in emphatic fashion in the 87th. A Wasp defender had a handball in the box giving the 'Cats a PK. Khalili went low-left corner for his first goal of the season.
The WildCats dominated the statistics, with 12 more shots and eight corner kicks to zero. Stevens recorded his 10th career shutout in the victory, and Collier played great in a holding midfield role.
Grillet made two saves for the Wasps (4-8-3 overall, 2-5-2 ODAC) but saved two other chances which would have been additional own goals.
Randolph (9-3-3, 6-0-3) plays a crucial ODAC clash on Wednesday. In the final regular-season home game, the WildCats will play Washington & Lee University at 7 p.m. The two teams are the only teams unbeaten in conference play, and it will go a long way to deciding the top-seed in the upcoming ODAC Tournament.
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#15 Grant Collier – accompanied by his grandparents Mimi and Luke McCoy, Girlfriend Katie Sides, Brother and teammate Austin Collier, and parents Cathy and Bill Collier
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Grant has been the epitome of a teammate and student while a part of the Randolph program. He has excelled on the soccer field, playing in almost every game of his career, while maintaining strong academic performance in the classroom. He has been a leader for the young Wildcat teams for the past two years and has really helped a number of the young players find their place in the Wildcat team. Grant's comedic relief when assigning "duties" to the underclassman along with his ability to get the team focused and lead at the right times will be sorely missed.
#10 Julian Khalili – accompanied by his sister Anousheh Khalili, and parents Catherine and Faramarz (Fam) Khalili
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Julian has been a part of both of Randolph's championship teams and played a pivotal role in helping the 2013 team to an ODAC regular season title and best record in the programs history. His ability to run at defenders and create opportunities for teammates has showed a lot of young players within the program how to play in the flank position. Julian's character along with his desire to be a part of our family cannot be replaced and is a source of motivation to all future WildCats.
#1 CJ Stevens – former teammate and fam member Coulton Watson, godfather Mark Heinz, and parents Sally and Chuck Stevens
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CJ has been one of the most important student-athletes in the history of the young WildCat soccer program. He has been a two year captain and a tremendous leader for the team. Even more importantly he has been an instrumental member of the campus community initiating new programs for students and student-athletes alike across campus. He was the recipient of the athletic departments very prestigious Deacon Award in 2014 and has been the SAAC president for the past two and half years. CJ's commitment to Randolph College and the men's soccer team is truly inspirational and we know his legacy will live on in his teammates.
Message from the coaching staff:
To our seniors, we have been through some tough times together and also some great times. We hope those great times have outweighed those tough times. You guys truly embraced our team philosophy and more importantly our WILDCATS plaque. We could not have asked for any more out of you over your careers and we are truly proud to have you a part of our program. You have all been inspirational to the coaching staff and even more importantly your teammates. You have made a lot of people proud of you while helping the team to championships and know you are always a part of our brotherhood. We know that all three of you will go on to do big things and represent our program to the fullest. We will miss you greatly!
