Nov. 7, 2009

Box Score

FAIRFAX, Va. - George Mason took a 1-0 loss to Old Dominion in front of 1,021 fans in the men's soccer season finale on Saturday evening at George Mason Stadium. The Patriots closed their 2009 schedule with a 10-7-1 overall record and 5-5-1 record in CAA contests.

After playing 88 minutes of scoreless soccer, Old Dominion netted the game-winner in the 89th minute of action to improve to 11-4-2 overall and 6-3-2 against conference opponents. A shot by junior forward Steffen Rabben was deflected out of bounds by the Patriots, resulting in a corner kick. Rabben took the ensuing corner kick and curved the ball in front of the far post, where it met the head of senior Adrian LeRoy. George Mason goalkeeper Sean Kelley went to the ground to make the save of LeRoy's header but the ball bounced off his body in the direction of senior Nane Joseph, who kicked the ball high into the upper-right corner of the net for his sixth goal of the season.

Joseph's shot clinched the final spot in the CAA Championships for the Monarchs, who finished the season tied with Hofstra for fourth place in the conference standings. Old Dominion won the tiebreaker with the Pride based on a victory against sixth-place James Madison earlier in the season. UNC Wilmington, William and Mary and Northeastern also qualified for the CAA Championships, which are scheduled to begin on Friday, Nov. 13 in Wilmington, N.C. The Patriots, the defending CAA Champions, were eliminated from tournament contention following last weekend's 2-1 loss at first-place UNCW. George Mason was favored to repeat as CAA Champions in a preseason poll of the conference's head coaches.

The match was the final contest in the collegiate careers of midfielder Richard Edgar, Kelley and defender Alex Procter. All three seniors started the match, and were honored in a ceremony prior to the start of the contest. Team manager and George Mason senior Ryan Gutkowski was honored along with the senior class.