Sept. 2, 2009
Box Score
FAIRFAX, Va. -
Junior forward Parker Walton knocked in the game-winning goal in the 86th minute of action to lift the 19th-ranked George Mason men's soccer team past Howard by a final score of 2-1 on the first day of the D.C. College Cup on Wednesday evening at George Mason Stadium.
With the score knotted at one, junior Brent Brockman, a transfer from Saint Francis University (Pa.), corralled the ball at midfield and lofted it toward the left side of the goalie box to freshman Alhagi Toure. Toure tapped the ball to his right, where Walton gained control of it and sent it past Howard senior goalkeeper Victor Thomas for the game-winning score with 4:59 remaining in the contest.
Mason scored the first goal of the evening off of a penalty kick by sophomore Ryan Gracia. After a yellow card was issued to Thomas for his rough play in the goal area 38 minutes into the contest, Gracia lined up in the center of the box for the kick. After faking Thomas to his left, the Rockville, Md. native knocked the ball into the middle of the net for his first goal of the season.
Howard netted the equalizer in the 65th minute. Following a corner kick by freshman Phillip Borde, the ball deflected back-and-forth off of a group of Bison players in front of the net. Junior Matthew Marshall stuck his foot out and knocked the ball past Mason senior goalkeeper Sean Kelley to tie the score at one.
George Mason held the advantage in shots (23-10) and corner kicks (10-6) in the match. A total of eight yellow cards were issued in the contest, including six for Howard. Second-year head coach Michael Lawrence was among those receiving yellow cards for the Bison.
In the opening match of the day, American shut out GW 2-0. The Eagles' goals were scored by David Menzie and Karsten Smith.
The D.C. College Cup continues on Saturday with a pair of matches at George Mason Stadium. Howard will take on George Washington in the opening match of the day at 5 p.m. The Patriots will face American in the final match of the tournament at 7:30 p.m.
