HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va. – The Hampden-Sydney College soccer team pushed its unbeaten streak to 21 games with a 3-1 win over Eastern Mennonite University on Sunday evening from Hellmuth-Gibson Field. The Tigers are 7-0 overall on the spring season and 7-0 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC). The Royals fall to 0-8-1 and 0-7-1 in the ODAC.
Prior to the start of the match, the Tigers honored its seven seniors for their dedication to the soccer team. Seniors include Gray Sutter/Clinton, NC, Doug Hogan/Scottsville, Nolan Poretz/Ashburn, PJ LeBel/Gloucester, Connor Shaw/Durham, NC, Matt Rehder/Catonsville, MD, and Jack Sweney/Duluth, GA.
Neither team was able to find the back of the net in the first half of the game despite the Tigers taking eight shots in the period to the Royals' four. The play went back and forth with only four fouls. Both teams took halftime to regroup to push for the win.
It was the Tigers who struck early in the 59th minute when freshman John Alexander/Wake Forest, NC took a pass from classmate Emory Davis/Palmyra and right footed it past the goalie to give the Tigers the 1-0 lead. Eastern Mennonite responded in the 76th minute off a deflection off of Sutter, evening the game up at a goal apiece.
Sophomore Kade Wheeler/Blacksburg scored what would be the game-winning goal just five minutes later. Freshman Declan Shaw/Durham, NC found a leaping Wheeler inside the box for the goal at 80:24. With just over five minutes left the game, Declan Shaw scored his own goal, unassisted to put the game out of reach of the Royals.
Sutter played all 90 minutes in goal for the Tigers, making three saves. H-SC led Eastern Mennonite in shots (18-8) and corner kicks (8-3).
The Tigers will travel to Christopher Newport University on Thursday, April 1 for an exhibition game. The contest with the Captains gets underway at 4 p.m. in Newport News.
