THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 13, 1994 TAG: 9410130629
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JULIE GOODRICH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
For the Old Dominion men's soccer team, putting the ball in the back of the net has been a little like trying to put a square peg in a round hole.
It just won't go.
Coming into Wednesday's contest with Navy, the Monarchs had scored just four goals in the last four games - a steep drop-off from Old Dominion's torrid scoring pace at the beginning of the season, when the team tallied 16 goals in the first six games.
Nothing changed against the Midshipmen. The Monarchs scored but one goal, but this time, they put the ball in the back of the net when it mattered most.
With 46 seconds left in the second overtime period, Bucky Silva tracked down a throw-in by Geof Thompson and sent a shot into the net to give Old Dominion a 1-0 decision over Navy, the Monarchs' second win in the last five games.
``(After regulation) we talked about how someone has got to step up and be the hero, if you want to call it that,'' said Old Dominion coach Ralph Perez. ``We talked about when was the last time we won a game when things were on the line. It had been a while before tonight.''
As they did in last Saturday's 2-1 loss to George Mason, the Monarchs (6-4-1) took more than 115 minutes to score. As the game clock ticked under one minute, a Navy player kicked the ball out of bounds.
``Geof threw the ball in and it went over my defender's head,'' said Silva, a sophomore out of Cox High School. ``I trapped it, turned around, and shot. And it went in.''
Jason Shedlock, another Cox graduate, nearly ended the game with five minutes left to play in the first overtime period, beating keeper T.J. Grady with a shot that just skidded wide of the left goal post.
Old Dominion outshot Navy, 19-8, but failed to finish several excellent scoring opportunities, a problem that continues to plague the Monarchs.
``It's a problem, especially considering where we have to go,'' said Perez. Old Dominion plays at ranked James Madison and American before returning home to face undefeated William and Mary. ``These four games in seven days are going to make or break our season.''
Goalie Nathan Olansen, out two games with cracked ribs, took over in the second half and recorded three saves for the Monarchs.
Virginia Wesleyan wins,
breaks tie at top of ODAC
FARMVILLE, Va. - Mike Duffy scored in a penalty kick with 8:41 remaining to give Virginia Wesleyan a 2-1 victory over Hampden-Sydney in a battle of Old Dominion Athletic Conference unbeatens.
With the win, the Marlins (13-0-1, 6-0) bumped the Tigers (10-3-1, 6-1) out of first place in the conference.
Hampden-Sydney scored the first goal of the match on a 35-yard shot by Mike Berzins at 55:11. The Marlins tied it seven minutes later on a goal by Duffy, assisted by Evan Whitson and Jim Hickling. Duffy's second goal gave Virginia Wesleyan, ranked No. 2 nationally in Division III, the victory. by CNB