RICHMOND, Va. - The Patriots secured a decisive win over the Spiders in their first Atlantic 10 road matchup on Thursday afternoon at President's Field in Richmond, by a score of 2-0. George Mason (3-5-2, 2-0-0 A-10) earned its 11th victory over Richmond (3-4-3, 0-2-0 A-10) in the all-time series.
From the first whistle, the Patriots applied high pressure and sent dangerous balls forward. After having to sit out the previous match against George Washington at the last minute, midfielder Madyson Taylor made her presence felt immediately with aggressive wing play. A service from Taylor to the box in the 10th minute led to a blocked shot by midfielder Molly Starner that was later skillfully controlled by Aaliyah Schinaman to earn the first corner kick of the match. Gianna Chrapek's well-placed corner kick was volleyed in by defender Zoë Vidaurre, tallying a goal for the Patriots in the 11th minute. Vidaurre continues her scoring streak with a goal in her second consecutive game. All three corner kicks in the first half were taken by George Mason - a credit to the Patriots' relentless attack and early control of the game.
Mason continued to be especially threatening from set pieces in the second half. A corner kick cleared by the Spiders was recovered by midfielder Maria Franjicic, who served it back into the 18-yard line. Zoë Vidaurre redirected the delivery with a header, assisting Molly Starner's strike into the top right corner. This was Starner's first goal of the season.
George Mason delivered a complete performance, dominating on both sides of the pitch. Many of Richmond's scoring opportunities came through freshman forward Emma Newman, who took both of the Spiders' shots in the first half. In the second half, she shifted gears and remained a threat as a facilitator. Crosses from Newman into the box in the 74th and 85th minutes created especially dangerous chances for the Spiders to get on the scoreboard late in the match.
However, as they had done all match long, the Patriots' defense continued to make it difficult for the Spiders to find shots on goal – holding them to just one across the full 90 minutes. Goalkeeper Libby Davy recorded her third shutout of the season.
HOW THEY SCORED
11' | Zoë Vidaurre scored off a volley from Gianna Chrapek's corner kick
51' | Molly Starner found the net after Zoë Vidaurre's header redirected a long ball from Maria Franjicic
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
George Mason outshot Richmond 10-6. The Patriots excelled at keeping their attempts on target, recording four shots on goal compared to the Spiders' one. Despite only having a narrow 5-4 edge in corner kicks, George Mason limited Richmond's ability to capitalize on those opportunities. The Spiders were also called offside three times, highlighting the discipline and organization of the Patriots' back line. With a final score of 2-0, this road victory marks Mason's first win by multiple goals this season.
NEXT FOR MASON
George Mason will play their second conference road match in a row when they travel to Philadelphia to face La Salle University this Sunday, September 28. Kickoff is set for 1 PM. The game will be available to be streamed on ESPN+.
