Oct. 27, 2009
Box Score
PHILADELPHIA -
George Mason scored three goals for the second consecutive match, taking a 3-1 Colonial Athletic Association men's soccer victory against Drexel on Tuesday evening at Vidas Field in Philadelphia, Pa. Junior forward Ernesto Marquez scored twice to pace the Patriots' offensive attack.
Marquez put the Patriots up by a goal immediately after the start of the contest, scoring just two minutes into the match. Following a foul by Drexel, Marquez lined up to take a free kick from just outside the right corner of the goal box. The Woodbridge, Va. native bent the ball inside the near post past Drexel goalkeeper Tres Heffron to give Mason a 1-0 lead.
After the Dragons tied the score at one off of a goal by Taylor Brophy in the 17th minute, the Patriots regained the lead shortly after the start of the second half. Junior forward Victor Freeman took Drexel defender Jon Volpatti one-on-one and rolled a shot past Heffron to put the Patriots up 2-1 in the 50th minute. The goal was Freeman's team-leading seventh of the season.
Mason added an insurance goal in the final 40 seconds when the Dragons packed the offensive zone for a free kick at midfield. When the ensuing drive was cleared back to the stripe, a two-on-one breakaway resulted. Freeman dribbled the ball into the goal box and dropped a pass off to Marquez, who tapped home his second goal of the match to make it 3-1.
The win puts the Patriots in a three-way tie for third place in the CAA standings with a 10-5-1 overall record and 5-3-1 mark in CAA contests for a total of 16 points. Old Dominion downed VCU 2-1 in the only other CAA match of the night on Tuesday. Four matches featuring the conference's remaining eight teams will take place on Wednesday. The top four teams in the conference standings at the end of the regular season will advance to the CAA Championship Tournament scheduled to begin on Friday, Nov. 13 at the home of the top seed.
George Mason travels to Wilmington, N.C. to take on second-place UNC Wilmington on Saturday, Oct. 31. The opening kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at UNCW Soccer Stadium.
