Monarchs Improve 11-2 with resounding victory
Written By: Jake Ullrich
Assistant Sports Editor
When the Old Dominion men’s soccer team plays their best, there are not a lot of teams in the conference, let alone the nation, who can compete with them.
Saturday night, the Monarchs played their best.
Yannick Smith, Chris Harmon, Alex Vaughn and Gideon Asante all scored for the Monarchs, who comfortably beat the Hofstra Pride 4-1. The team combined brilliantly and put on a wonderful show for the 510 in attendance.
“Very happy, I thought we played well tonight, particularly in the first half,” coach Dawson said. “Little fortunate to get the first goal. Very pleased. Obviously would have like the clean sheet, but then I’m getting a bit greedy.”
It should come as no surprise who scored the first goal for the Monarchs. Yannick Smith ran onto a Tim Hopkinson long ball, and after a terrible miscue by the defender and goalkeeper, Smith tapped the ball into an empty net.
“[The goal was] huge. I think if we go in at nil-nil it’s a bit of a dodgy game,” Dawson said. “We’re a team that if we get the first goal and you have to chase us, you’re in trouble.”
It was Smith’s fifteenth goal of the season, a target he set at the beginning of the season. He has now scored in six straight games.
“It feels great right now, but I know it could end at any moment,” Smith said. “But its not just me, it’s the whole team. I mean we’re top of the country with goals per game, so everybody is feeling it right now.”
The Monarchs walked into the locker rooms at halftime with a 1-0 lead, but the difference of class between the two teams was much larger. The Monarchs played their game to a tee and came out in the second half ready to increase their lead.
It didn’t take long and if the first goal was a bit of luck, the second was all class. A wonderful combination of play between Vaughn, Harmon and Tim Hopkinson resulted in a perfect cross and tap-in finish for Harmon.
‘Those are the goals we want to score,” Harmon said. “Everyone not taking multiple touches, passing it through the defense. Combination play, everyone touching it, it’s fun.”
While Harmon provided the finishing touch, it was sophomore Vaughn who orchestrated the move. He was given his chance to get his name on the score sheet in the 72 minute and didn’t fail.
After Smith’s shot was saved well by the goalkeeper, Vaughn found himself left alone for a wide-open finish. It was his second goal of the season. Vaughn, who was instrumental in last season’s success, had a bit of a rocky start to the season, but he was seemed to since find his form.
“Vaughnies back,” Dawson said. “We all knew he was a great player. He did very well tonight and that’s a big time player back in the mix.”
Vaughn wasn’t the only midfielder to have a fantastic match, Jason Gaylord also excelled. After being moved from left back to a holding midfield position, Gaylord has been assigned the role of disrupting the opposition’s attack as much as possible. He plays the enforcer, perfectly complimenting his teammate’s skillfulness.
“I thought Jason was terrific,” Dawson said. “A couple games back to back now he’s been the back bone. He’s been fantastic. He’s going to win a lot of balls in the midfield.”
Hofstra began to pile players forward and found the back of the net in the 83 minute when Heidar Emilsson struck brilliantly from 20 yards out. The Monarchs have been making a habit of giving up late goals, but Asante made sure of the three points only two minutes later.
As Hofstra threw men up, they left their defense weak and Asante punished them when he beat the defender to the ball and perfectly chipped the ball over Hofstra’s goalkeeper for the final goal of the night.
The Monarchs continue to roll and have an important match-up Wednesday with co-leaders James Madison for the sole possession of top of the tables in the CAA.
The team walked off smiling, pleased with their performance, but knowing there is still a long road ahead of them to complete their goal. Hopkinson found the perfect term to describe the team’s current success.
“Just balling, straight up balling.”
