Box Score For immediate release – 11/3/2015 - #103
WildCats off to ODAC Semis with win over R-MC
LYNCHBURG, VA – Three different members of the Randolph College men's soccer team scored, as the second-seeded WildCats defeated seventh-seeded Randolph-Macon College 3-0 on Tuesday night in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Tournament Quarterfinal.
The beginning stages of the game saw both teams feeling each other out, with Randolph-Macon earning the early chances. R-MC started the game on the attack and had a shot aimed at net, but it sailed high. The 'Cats responded with a header off of a corner kick, but it was saved by Yellow Jackets goalkeeper Brian Breslin. Matt Tourbin was then forced to make a save of his own shortly after, but the WildCats made a substitution that helped give them the advantage.
Blake Heatherly came off the bench at 11:18 and made an immediate impact. After taking possession of the ball, he streaked up the right side of the field and sent a cross into the box. It deflected off of a Yellow Jacket defender and bounced right to Salvador Ramirez, who fired it home to give Randolph the 1-0 lead at 11:33.
The WildCats kept attacking and found themselves with several more opportunities. Brian Anderson had his header saved in the 23rd minute. Following two R-MC attempts that did not test Tourbin, Heatherly ripped a shot from 25 yards out that Breslin just deflected over the crossbar. The 'Cats could not capitalize on the ensuing corner, entering the half with a 1-0 lead.
Physical play ruled the first 20 minutes of the second half as 18 fouls were called and one yellow card was issued. While that type of play would continue, the offenses started to pick it up in the 66th. Randolph-Macon attacked Tourbin and he came out of the net to stop an initial shot by Andrew Oakes. The ball continued to bounce around the box before Oakes got to it once again with a wide open net. However, Cristian Irigoyen came flying over and cleared the Oakes' shot before it could tie the score at one.
The momentum turned back to the 'Cats after that play. Randolph earned a corner kick in the 68th and Troy Jurney's service found the head of Irigoyen, who found the back of the net for the 2-0 advantage.
Each team continued pushing, and the Yellow Jackets earned an excellent header opportunity, but Bryan Lutz could not put it on goal.
Finally the Wildcats cemented the victory in 82nd, as Jurney once again pinpointed a pass. This time, his cross from the left side found the head of Travis Brown, who scored his seventh goal of the season, as the 'Cats went up 3-0.
The WildCats earned four more corner kicks in the win, and had six more shots on goal than the Yellow Jackets. Matt Tourbin stopped all four in his tournament debut, while Breslin made seven as the Randolph-Macon (9-10 overall) season ended.
Randolph (12-4-3) will continue on to the ODAC Semifinals this weekend. The opponent will be third-seeded Roanoke College and the location will be Washington & Lee University, as the final-four format changed for all fall tournaments this year. The time will be released at a later date.
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