The Coastal Carolina University (CCU) men’s soccer team hosted Old Dominion University (ODU) on Oct. 23, resulting in an ODU win 3-2.
This victory marks an important milestone for the Monarchs, improving their record to 5-6-2 as they strive for a strong finish in the Sun Belt Conference (SBC). This match held vital points in the teams’ SBC standings.
Coastal entered the match with a record of 3-8-2, highlighting a strong season marked by dynamic offense and solid defensive play.
The Monarchs demonstrated their skills of resilience and tactical discipline during the match. They set the pace early, scoring a goal within the first 20 minutes of the match.
The Monarchs displayed their attacking strength, capitalizing on defensive lapses from Coastal Carolina. Their efforts were evident, as they registered 23 shots, with nine of those on target, showcasing their attacking prowess.
The Chanticleers fired back with seven shots, four on target, leading to a Chanticleer goal by Loed Klaasen 29 minutes in.
At the 37-minute mark, the Monarchs scored their second goal making the score 2-1.
The Chanticleers equalized again, as Deryn Armstrong scored at the 55-minute mark.
Coastal’s efforts paid off as they narrowed the gap with two goals, keeping the pressure on Old Dominion throughout the second half.
The divisive moments came late in the game, with Old Dominion managing to hold onto their lead despite Coastal’s late surge.
“We weren’t on our game today, we could’ve taken our shots and defended better. Just lapse of moments caused us to lose,” center back Pierson Davis said.
As the match creeped closer to the final buzzer, the men became more determined. This determination led to Old Dominion ending the match with three yellow cards to the Chanticleer’s two, earned by Jimson St. Louis and Doug Hainer.
“I think the effort was good we just got to put away our chances. We are doing better at creating chances we just got to be more secure,” goalkeeper Tristan Himes said.
In the final minutes of the match, a penalty kick was taken narrowly missing the goal, which could have resulted in the tying score.
After reviewing the play, the referees determined there was no foul against the Chanticleers, and a penalty kick would not be awarded, ending the match 3-2.
This disappointed CCU head coach Shaun Docking for potentially costing them a shot at the SBC tournament.
“We should have had that penalty. I don’t know why it wasn’t called, that would have tied the game 3-3. That’d give us a point each and that point then would have gotten us in the Sun Belt tournament,” Docking said.
This victory provides a crucial boost for Old Dominion as they look to build momentum heading into the final stretch of the season, while Coastal Carolina will aim to regroup and refocus in their upcoming matches.
“We had some fantastic chances at the end to tie the game up and it just wasn’t our night tonight,” Docking said.
The Coastal Carolina men’s soccer team returns home Nov. 5 for a matchup against the University of Central Florida.
sharon Ulrich • Oct 24, 2024 at 3:44 pm
Well written article. I was there and enjoyed the recap of the details!