Posted: Apr 03, 2010
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. --- No. 8-ranked Roanoke used a big fourth quarter in upending Virginia Wesleyan, 11-4 on Foster Field at the Trinder Center. The Maroons are now 10-2 overall, 4-0 in the ODAC. The Marlins slipped to 6-4, 1-2 in conference play.
The Maroons, who are now 18-3 against the Marlins, avenged 2008's 15-12 loss at Foster Field. They outshot VWC, 56-31, but both the face-offs (8-for-16) and groundball battle (39-38 RC) were tight. Roanoke was successful in all 19 clear attempts on the afternoon.
In the lowest scoring output of the season for Roanoke, the defense made up for it, with 30 turnovers and allowing its second-lowest goals allowed total of the season. The Maroons entered the game averaging 22 goals in ODAC competition while allowing only six per game.
That effort helped keep VWC in contention to the final buzzer. The Marlins trailed just 3-2 after the first period, 6-3 at halftime and matched the Maroons with a goal by each team in the third quarter.
Led by Matt Quinton (Elora, Ontario, Canada, Kitchener Braves)two goals, Roanoke pulled away in the final period. He scored both goals in the first three minutes to make it, 9-4. Richard Lachlan (Port Coquitlam, B.C., Terry Fox Secondary)and Pat March (Glen Burnie, MD, Mt. St. Joseph)tacked on the final goals for Roanoke in the final six minutes to clinch the programs' 14th 10-win season in its illustrious history. It marks the seventh time in the last eight years the Maroons have won as many games in a season.
Virginia Wesleyan scored the first goal of the game when sophomore Kyle Wrightput in an unassisted shot 2:08 into the competition. Roanoke came back with a pair of Lachlan goals to move in front 2-1, only to see the Marlins tie the game when sophomore Adam Nycz scored off a Wright feed.
Roanoke scored the final goal of the first quarter and the first goal of the second quarter, however, to create the advantage the Maroons rode the rest of the way.
Lachlan and Quinton led Roanoke with three goals each, with Lachlan adding an assist to his afternoon total. March scored two goals as Ashton Hotchkiss (Darien, CT, Darien), Drew Manley (Severna Park, MD, St. Mary's Annapolis)and Justin Tuma (Bloomfield Hills, MI, Lahser)had a goal and an assist each.
Jake Dorsey (Woodbine, MD, Mt. St. Joseph)finished with eight saves, three in the final period for the Maroons. Hotchkiss and Alex Burkhead (Winston-Salem, NC, Forsyth Country Day)collected five groundballs each to lead Roanoke. Greg Khanzadian (Syracuse, NY, Christian Brothers)went 4-of-6 during face-offs and had four groundballs.
Nycz led the Marlins with two goals, followed by Wright with one goal and one assist. Ry Stanley collected a team-high four groundballs.
Virginia Wesleyan goalie Tyler Keech, stopped a career-high 27 shots in an outstanding effort. That ties the third highest total in VWC history, recorded by former Marlin standout Tom Skartisaris against Roanoke in 2008.
The men will be on the road again this Wednesday, as they travel to Lexington, VA to take on No. 13 Washington & Lee in ODAC action. The Maroons lost in the ODAC Championship, 15-14 in overtime to the Generals last season. Roanoke is 18-25 all-time against Washington & Lee, with the last five meetings decided by a single goal. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Wilson Field.
Check out more information on Roanoke's new athletics website at http://maroons.roanoke.edu/. The website features top stories, scores, stats, photo galleries, archive information and much more. Make sure to sign up for text alerts to get athletic updates sent right to your phone. You can sign up by going to the athletics homepage and click “Get Text Alerts” on the right.
Did you know you can view all home games live online? Click on the “Watch Games Live” ad from the athletics homepage to get live webcasts of each home athletic scheduled event. You can also access live stats for each home event and select away games by clicking our “Live Stats” link on the athletic homepage. To keep up to date with Maroon athletics from your mobile phone or PDA, please visit m.roanoke.edu/sports.
