ODU, DELAWARE ADVANCE TO CAA MEN'S SOCCER TITLE GAME
#2 Old Dominion 5, #6 Georgia State 3
Boxscsore
HARRISONBURG, Va. (November 11, 2011) – Sophomore Tim Hopkinson scored two goals and also had an assist to lead second-seeded Old Dominion to a 5-3 victory over #6 Georgia State in the first semifinal match of the 2011 Virginia 529 CAA Men’s Soccer Championship Friday night at JMU Soccer Complex in Harrisonburg, Va.
The Monarchs (12-4-1) advance to Sunday’s 1 p.m. championship game against the winner of tonight’s second semifinal between #1 James Madison and #4 Delaware. It’s the first trip to the finals for ODU since claiming the CAA title in 2007. Georgia State fell to 13-7-2 and will await a possible at-large berth to the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship.
With the match tied at 2-2 midway through the second half, Hopkinson’s second goal of the night in the 75th minute put ODU ahead for good. The play started when a shot by ODU’s Alex Vaughan was blocked, but Hopkinson gathered the rebound and finished from 10 yards away for his ninth goal of the year.
The Monarchs pushed the margin to 4-2 in the 79th minute when Jordan LeBlanc converted a penalty kick past GSU goalkeeper Vincent Foermer to the right side. The penalty kick was set up by a handball in the box.
GSU rallied to within 4-3 with 3:11 remaining in the match when Peter Vania headed in a Jordan Weise cross from six yards out. It was Vania’s third goal of the year.
The Monarchs put the match away after Gideon Asante made a 50-yard run down the right side and beat Foermer one-on-one from nine yards out with just 45 seconds to go. It was Asante’s seventh goal.
ODU, which was the CAA’s top offensive team this season, scored three or more goals for the 10th time. The effort came against a GSU squad that was the league’s best defensive squad, giving up only 15 goals in 21 matches. The five goals were the most scored against the Panthers in 2011.
“We’re a very potent offensive team,” said ODU head coach Alan Dawson, who recorded the 300th win of his career. “In the first half we struggled to get going. We got Tim a little higher in the second half and that changed the game. Getting a win is terrific. It’s going to be a great final and we’re looking forward to it.”
ODU got on the board first in the 19th minute when Hopkinson lofted a corner kick from the left side to junior Alex De John, who was standing unmarked on the right post. De John headed the ball into the open net for his first goal of the season.
The Monarchs extended their advantage to 2-0 in the 36th minute. Hopkinson retrieved a deflected ball in the middle of the box and fired a 15-yard shot into the upper right corner for his ninth goal of the year.
GSU battled back quickly, cutting the deficit in half in the 38th minute. Alex Vivanco sent a cross from the left side to junior Gimel Gordon, who scored his third goal of the year from 12 yards out to make it 2-1.
The Panthers pulled even on a nice scoring play in the 62nd minute. From just past midfield, Yasser Majluf sent a long pass to Gordon on the right side. He crossed the ball into the box to senior Ayokunle Lumpkin, who finished from eight yards away for his fifth goal of the season.
ODU out-shot the Panthers 21-7 in the match. Foermer made five saves for GSU while ODU goalkeeper Victor Francoz didn’t have a stop.
#4 Delaware 2, #1 James Madison 2 (Delaware advances 5-4 on PK's)
Boxscore
HARRISONBURG, Va. (November 11, 2011) –Fourth-seeded Delaware advanced past #1 James Madison 5-4 on penalty kicks after the two squads battled to a 2-2 tie in the second semifinal match of the 2011 Virginia 529 CAA Men’s Soccer Championship Friday night at JMU Soccer Complex in Harrisonburg, Va.
The Blue Hens (11-5-4), who also advanced past Northeastern on penalty kicks in the quarterfinals, will meet #2 Old Dominion for the CAA championship at 1 p.m. on Sunday. It’s the first appearance in the CAA title game for Delaware and its first conference tournament final since playing for the East Coast Conference crown in 1985. JMU, which is now 12-4-2, will await a possible at-large berth to the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship next week.
“I couldn’t be prouder of this group,” Delaware coach Ian Hennessy said. “To play two top 100 teams in overtime on the road in a 24-hour period is a fabulous achievement for this team.”
With penalty kicks tied at 4-4, UD’s Chas Wilson knocked home the deciding goal with a shot to the right side of the net.
“There was no pressure,” Wilson said. “I was planning to go to the left or down the middle, but I saw the goalie dive and I just rolled it and it went in.”
JMU jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute when senior Patrick Innes converted a penalty kick to the right side after being taken down in the box by a Blue Hens’ defender.
Delaware got the equalizer less than two minutes later as sophomore John Dineen took a pass at the top of the box from Vincent Mediate and fired a shot into the upper right corner from 18 yards out. The goal was Dineen’s second of the year.
The Blue Hens moved on top, 2-1, with less than nine minutes to go in the first half. A shot by UD’s Chas Wilson was blocked by JMU keeper Justin Epperson, but the rebound came out to Evans Frimpong. The senior, who earned CAA Player of the Year honors, hit a line drive into the open net from eight yards away for his 12th goal of the year.
The Dukes nearly tied it in the 77th minute but UD goalkeeper Kris Devaux was able to make a leaping stab to knock away a Jimmy Simpson header. JMU pulled even at 2-2 with just 8:53 left in regulation. Karel Manrau lofted a perfect 25-yard pass to Innes just inside the box. Innes’ first shot was stopped by a charging Devaux, but the rebound came back to Innes who was able to finish from five yards out.
JMU had several good scoring opportunities in the second overtime, but couldn’t convert. After a scramble in from of the net, Innes saw his shot go just wide with 3:36 left. Two minutes later, junior Paul Wyatt fired a half-volley from 15 yards away that was stopped by Devaux.
JMU out-shot Delaware 21-13 for the match, including 7-0 in the two overtime periods. Devaux finished with eight saves for the Hens and added two more stops in PK’s. Epperson also turned away a pair of shots in PK’s and compiled two saves during regulation.