HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, VA – The Hampden-Sydney soccer team continued their strong start to the 2021 spring season with a 2-1 win over Virginia Wesleyan at home on Sunday night from Hellmuth-Gibson Field. The Tigers improve to 4-0 on the spring and 4-0 in the Old Dominion Athletics Conference (ODAC). The Marlins drop to 0-3-2 overall and 0-2-2 in the ODAC.

The Marlins were able to take the first shot of the contest just 2:37 into the game, but senior goalie Gray Sutter/Clinton, NC made the save. Classmate PJ LeBel/Gloucester took two quick shots 10 minutes into the game, but both were blocked by VWU. With Marlins found themselves on the receiving end of three straight corner kicks in less than a minute just two minutes later.

Virginia Wesleyan took the early 1-0 when Evan Kastetter was able to get the ball past Sutter in the 30^th minute. Both teams played even through the rest of the first half with the Tigers taking three more shots and the Marlins just one. The visitors had a 1-0 lead at the break.

Once again it was the Marlins who took the first shot of the half, but this time it was high and to the right of the goal at the 49:33 mark. In the 68^th minute sophomore Josiah King/South Boston found a streaking freshman Stefan Ngoh/Goldvein in the box with Ngoh right footing the ball past the Marlins goalie to tie the game up at 1-1 at the 67:18 mark.

After a shot by King early in the 81^st minute that was punch-out saved by the goalie, the Tigers were awarded a corner kick. H-SC made a quad of substitutions before the corner with one paying off immediate dividends. Freshman Declan Shaw/Durham, NC subbed in for junior Joseph Bekenstein/Reston with Shaw taking the corner. The pass right into the box found sophomore Connor Brooks/Springfield who leaped and put a header in the left corner for the goal and the 2-1 lead for H-SC.

The Tigers kept Virginia Wesleyan offense in check the last nine minutes, not allowing a shot for the visitors.

Sutter picks up the win playing all 90 minutes in goal for the Tigers making five saves. H-SC lead the Marlins in shots (16-10), shots on goal (7-6) and corner kicks (8-4). The two teams were tied with five saves each.

The Tigers will play again this Thursday, March 18 when they travel to Ferrum College. The game against the Panthers will get underway at 7 p.m. from Penn-Roediger Field in Ferrum.