Aug. 26, 2006
Box Score
The George Mason women's soccer team survived an offensive onslaught from the Virginia Tech Hokies as Kasey Davenport stopped 9 of 10 shots and the Patriots earned their first draw since October 17, 2004 as Mason tied Virginia Tech, 1-1 in the season opener for both teams.
Davenport was terrific in goal for the Patriots, making acrobatic saves and stopping Virginia Tech runs before they could get shots off. The lone goal that the Hokies managed to squeeze into the net came in the 39th minute. Julian Johnson's long throw-in resulted in a shot by Laurie Beth Puglisi. The shot was blocked but Gina Om was there to put in the rebound.
"Kasey was extraordinarily confident, composed and made some brilliant saves that inspired her teammates and provided energy to the team," said Mason head coach Diane Drake. "It was a tremendous result on the road against a strong ACC opponent. More importantly, though, we played so well together and for each other. If we can bottle up that same enthusiasm and chemistry, we're going to have a great year."
Om's score tied the game at 1-1. Mason had taken the lead in the 32nd minute when Rachel Wiggins scored an unassisted goal from about 25 yards out on the left side. Her shot curled right above the outstretched hands of Virginia Tech goal keeper Mallory Soldner and into the back right corner of the net. Soldner finished with two saves in the game as only three of Mason's eight shots were on goal.
The Hokies had much more success in launching shots. They attempted 24 shots with 11 of those coming on goal. The 10th Mason save went to Hannah Sklar, who headed a ball clear after Davenport stopped a shot but allowed a rebound.
"They went 17 deep in their roster, we went 14 deep," said Drake. "I felt we were fitter at the end of the game and better on the ball. They were better athletically then we were from top to bottom so I kind of expected (the disparity in shots)."
The Hokies did not only have an advantage in shots, they also had an edge in corner kicks. Virginia Tech took five corner kicks while Mason attempted just one. The teams were nearly even in fouls, with the Hokies committing 13 while Mason committed 12.
Next up for Mason is its home opener on Sunday against Coastal Carolina, which downed West Georgia, 5-1 on Friday. Sunday's match is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start, meaning that just 36 hours after playing 110 minutes, the Patriots will take the field for the first time this season in front of the home fans.
"The comments I made to the team after the game was that we need to go deeper into our roster," said Drake. "I thanked the players who didn't play after the game and told them that we're going to need them on Sunday. It's our home opener and we're going to be tired. We have one and only one goal right now. To find a way to win that game on Sunday."
