University of Richmond Athletics
Men's Soccer Falls To Virginia Beach Mariners In Third Spring Game
April 7, 2005
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - The Richmond Spiders men's soccer squad battled the Virginia Beach Mariners, a USL first division professional team, Wednesday evening at UR Stadium and fell 5-0 for the first loss of the spring.
The game started slow as neither team was sharp. The Mariners had three long-range shooting attempts miss the target, but for most of the first half the Spiders pressure disrupted the Mariners attacking play.
Midway through the first half the Spiders started to settle into the game and were able to have good possession and create opportunities from the flanks. The game looked like it would go into halftime 0-0, but a giveaway with 10 in the back led to a quick counter for the Mariners. The visitors found an open player 30 yards out, who finished powerfully to take the Mariners into halftime ahead 1-0.
As the second half started the Mariners began to take the game over and have most of the possession. About twenty minutes into the half the Mariners won a corner kick. The ball in was played long across the goal, knocked down, and eventually fell to an open man in the six-yard box, who scored to make it 2-0.
With 10 minutes left the Mariners drove down the left flank and served a ball which was deflected into the goal by a Spider defender for an own goal. The Spiders, both mentally and physically tired the last five minutes, gave up two late goals to make the final score 5-0.
Richmond's next spring action will take place Sunday, April 10, against UNC-Greensboro and Virginia Tech.