Nov. 7, 2003
HARRISONBURG, VA ... George Mason stumbled in its final regular season game with a 2-0 loss at Colonial Athletic Association rival James Madison in men's soccer action in Harrisonburg Friday, but the Patriots will host a CAA Championship first-round match Tuesday in Fairfax.
George Mason fell to 10-5-5 overall and to 4-2-3 in the CAA with the loss, and it was just the second loss in the last 12 games for the Patriots, who are 6-2-4 and have allowed just seven goals in that span.
The victory clinched a spot for James Madison in the six-team CAA Championship, which opens with first-round games Tuesday. George Mason earns the No. 3 seed and will host sixth-seeded UNC Wilmington at 7 p.m., while No. 5 William & Mary will visit No. 4 James Madison at 7 p.m.
Junior Denny Fulk scored twice to lead James Madison to the win Friday evening. Freshman Kurt Morsink set up Fulk's first goal, which came in the 31st minute of play, as he sent a through ball to Fulk in the box. Fulk then angled a 15-yard shot from the left side past Patriot junior goalkeeper John O'Hara, who had five saves in the contest.
Fulk's second score came with exactly four minutes left in the game. Sophomore Bobby Humphrey sent a pass from the midfield line downfield to Fulk, who outraced two George Mason defenders and beat O'Hara one-on-one from four yards out.
George Mason had several quality scoring chances. In the opening minutes, sophomore Teba McKnight got past JMU freshman goalkeeper Kevin Trapp, but his shot was cleared off the line by sophomore Danny Sheridan. With about six minutes left in the half, junior Matt Mendy took a shot from close range that was stopped near the goal line by Dukes sophomore Sean Young. In the second half Mason's best opportunity was a shot by junior Karim Manneh that sailed just over the top of the goal in the 57th minute. Trapp made two saves and controlled a number of crossing passes, as he got his seventh complete-game shutout of the year.
James Madison also had some missed opportunities, including a shot by freshman Mike Tuddenham that was cleared off the line by junior Danny Climo in the 54th minute. O'Hara made back-to-back saves in the 65th minute, first on a Morsink free kick, then on a shot by Tuddenham off the rebound.
James Madison 2, George Mason 0
Half: JMU 1-0
Scoring:
First Half
JMU - Denny Fulk (Kurt Morsink), 30:42
Second Half
JMU - Fulk (Bobby Humphrey), 86:00
Shots on goal: GMU 10, JMU 14
Corner kicks: GMU 4, JMU 5
Goalkeeping:
GMU - John O'Hara, 5 saves, 2 GA, 90:00
JMU - Kevin Trapp, 2 saves, 0 GA, 90:00
Attendance: 511
