FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason men's soccer team exploded for three
first-half goals en route to a 4-1 Colonial Athletic Association victory over
Northeastern on Saturday evening at George Mason Stadium. Behind a pair of
goals from freshman midfielder Leo Stolz, including the game-winner in the 39th
minute, the Patriots (6-6-3, 3-4-1 CAA) snapped a two-match winless streak with
just three regular season matches remaining in 2011. Northeastern fell to
8-5-2, 4-3-1 in conference play.
Mason got on the board first in the 16th minute
when freshman Verneri Valimaa collected the ball at midfield and played a
through ball to the left side, where junior Taylor Morgan captured the pass,
sprinted down the left side and fired from 10 yards out to the far post, good
for his team-best ninth goal of the season. Valimaa picked up his fifth assist
on the play.
The Huskies answered in
the 35th minute, when Top Phataraprasit gathered the ball just
inside the left side of the box, passed it to Dante Marini whose low shot to
the far post was beyond the dive of Patriot sophomore goalkeeper Sean Cote.
It did not take long for the Patriots to respond, as senior
Draymond Washington delivered a cross to the far post which, in a battle in
front of the goal, was tipped out by sophomore Wesley Sever. The deflection
found its way to Stolz, who buried it under keeper Oliver Blum to the
back-center of the net. Sever and
Washington earned their third and second assists of the year, respectively, on
the play.
Stolz would be heard from again less than two minutes later,
as he slid in front of the goal and tipped in a low cross to the near post from
classmate Timmy Mulgrew. Stolz, who had just one goal in his career going into
the game, tallied his second of the night and third overall in 2011. Mulgrew's
assist was the second in the freshman's career.
Mason punctuated the evening in the 87th minute,
as Morgan dribbled down the left side, made one cut to the middle and fired a
shot at Blum, who picked up one of his nine saves but could not control the
rebound. Senior Ryan Gracia was there for the Green and Gold to complete the
score, drilling his third goal of the year while Morgan earned his fifth
assist.
The Patriots attacked the net all night, recording 13 shots
on goal compared to three for the Huskies. Cote recorded two saves as he
improved to 4-4-3 on the year in net.
Mason next travels north to Long Island for a Wednesday night
matchup at Hofstra. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
