Box Score For immediate release – 9/26/2015 - #048
Heatherly at the Double in WildCats Victory
LYNCHBURG, VA – Blake Heatherly scored two goals in the second half to seal a 4-2 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) victory for the Randolph College men's soccer team over Bridgewater College on Saturday.
Playing the game in a steady downpour that worsened as the game went on, both teams came out of the gate looking to attack. The Eagles first shot was blocked in the fifth minute and the WildCats responded shortly after with an attempt by Heatherly, saved by BC goalie Mark Davis. Both teams earned several opportunities over the next 30 minutes, but the corresponding defenses and goalies were up to the task.
Then in the 37th minute, Troy Jurney outworked a defender on the far side of the field to get to a loose ball. He then beat another Eagle defender and fired in a shot to give the WildCats a 1-0 lead. Matt Tourbin then made a save and came off his line on a corner kick to nullify any Bridgewater chances late in the half.
The second stanza provided more fireworks for everyone involved. In the 62nd minute, Heatherly earned his second assist of the season, as he lofted a ball into the box, and Salvador Ramirez jumped and made a half-bicycle kick, launching the ball into the back of the net. Ramirez's goal gave Randolph a 2-0 lead, but the Eagles would not go quietly.
Less than a minute after the Ramirez goal, Noah Malpass fired a shot on the break and Tourbin stopped it. The deflection went straight to Max Chacon, and he scored to cut the deficit in half. However, in the 69th minute, the Eagles committed a foul outside of the box. Heatherly took the free kick and it went through Davis' hands and in the net to regain a two-goal advantage.
The WildCats continued pressing and in the 84th found their fourth of the night. Jurney, who had just reentered the game, streaked up the left side. He crossed the ball into the box, straight at a Bridgewater defender's chest, but the ball settled at the feet of Heatherly, and he fired it home to complete his brace.
BC pressed on in the latter stages of the game. The Eagles had a shot blocked following a corner kick. The ball went right to Matthew Pagano and his shot hit the post and caromed into the back of the net.
The Eagles almost scored one more late goal as Pagano's shot ricocheted off the cross bar, and Logan McGlynn attempted a header but substitute goalkeeper CJ Stevens made an acrobatic save, before Heatherly stepped in to clear the ball off the line, keeping the two-goal lead intact for the win.
The WildCats had the upper hand in the statistics, outshooting their counterparts 24-18. Randolph also earned three more corner kicks. Tourbin and Stevens combined for seven saves during the game.
Davis stopped six shots for the Eagles (2-4-1 overall, 0-2 ODAC) in the loss.
Randolph (4-3-1, 2-0-1) will head on the road for the next few weeks. The first game will be a crucial ODAC contest at Roanoke College on Tuesday night. The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m.
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