Box score (PDF)

RICHMOND, Va. – The seventh-seeded George Mason men's soccer team built a two-goal lead at the half, but fell to second-seeded VCU, 4-3, in a penalty kick shootout in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 Championship Tournament on Saturday night at SportsBackers Stadium in Richmond, Va.

Neither team could find the back of the net in 20 minutes of overtime and the game went to a penalty kick shootout.  VCU converted on four of their penalty kicks, while Mason converted three.  The Rams advance to the A-10 Semifinals with the win.

The Patriots (4-12-2, 3-5-0 A-10) took the lead over the Rams (7-7-3, 6-1-1 A-10) early in the first half.

In the 17th minute, Mason senior forward Grant Robinson drove on the VCU defense and blistered a shot that was turned away by a diving stop from VCU junior goalkeeper Mario Sequeira.

Senior forward Tunde Akinlosotu, who scored three goals during the regular season, pounced on the rebound and found the upper left corner of the net to put the Patriots in front 1-0.  Akinlosotu had scored all of his goals at home during the season.

Robinson increased the Mason advantage in the 33rd minute when he scored his first goal of the season to make the score 2-0. 

Senior forward Raheem Lawal made the play happen when he raced down the right side and conneced with a perfect pass to Robinson, who finished into the lower left corner of the net.

After the break, the Rams pressured the Patriots.

Rams freshman midfielder Celio Pompeu scored his first career goal in the 68th minute, finding the upper left corner off a free kick from 25 yards out to cut the Mason lead in half at 2-1.

With just 25 seconds remaining in regulation the Patriots committed a foul in the penalty area.

VCU senior defender Ryo Shimazaki, who scored two of his three goals during the regular season on penalty kicks, converted the penalty kick for the equalizer to tie the match, 2-2, and send the game into overtime.

Mason sophomore goalkeeper Brison Moorhead made six saves, while Sequeira made four saves in the match.

HOW THEY SCORED

17' | Akinlosotu scored into the upper left corner on a rebound from 10 yards out.

33' | Robinson scored into the lower left corner from just inside the 18.

68' | Pompeu placed a free kick into the upper left from 25 yards out.

90' | Shimazaki converted on a penalty kick with 25 seconds left in regulation.

QUOTABLE

"Our guys played their hearts out tonight and left everything on the field," Mason head coach Greg Andrulis said.  "Sport can be cruel sometimes and tonight was a lesson in how to deal with heartbreak.  We were so close, and the guys gave it their all."

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

The Rams outshot the Patriots 22-8, including a 9-6 advantage in shots on goal.  VCU had 10 corner kicks, while Mason had one corner kick in the match.

Robinson led the Patriots with two shots on goal, while Akinlosotu, senior midfielders Ryan Mingachos, and Daniel Damiani and sophomore defender Michael Diehl each recorded one shot on goal in the game.