Spiders taken down by GMU for second conference loss

A first Atlantic 10 win eluded the University of Richmond women’s soccer team in its second conference game against George Mason University Sept. 25, as the Patriots outdueled the Spiders in a 2-0 contest.

Red-hot GMU looked to pick up its third win in four matches after righting the ship from a 0-5-1 start, while the Spiders, winless in their previous five games, sought to spark their own turnaround. 

Early on, it seemed as though UR had the offensive edge, not generating any quality scoring chances and keeping the Patriots penned in their own half, forcing their goalkeeper to make plays on several crosses into the box. 

Once having weathered the Spider attack, GMU wasted no time striking back, connecting on a corner kick with a dangerous opportunity inside the 18-yard box. The set piece fell to an unmarked Patriot player, who tucked a volley into the top left corner, just past sophomore goalkeeper Veronica Rrapi. Now playing from behind after just 11 minutes, UR’s early deficit was their second-fastest concession of the season.

Neither side found much offensive pressure through the rest of the half. GMU tried to break out using short, weaving passes through the middle, while the Spiders opted for deep passes over the top, though neither tactic proved fruitful. First-year forward Emma Newman was able to run down one of the through balls, notching UR’s only on-target shot of the contest. But quality chances at goal remained largely out of reach for both sides.

UR wound down into halftime continuing to neither generate nor concede many chances at goal, seeking to reload out of the break. The quick start the Spiders were looking for, however, was instead found by GMU. With a free kick along the left side of the pitch, GMU crossed the ball quickly to a Patriot player who shed her coverage just long enough to chop a shot into the top left corner of the net, doubling the gap just six minutes into the half.

“It was really disappointing, I thought we started the game pretty well,” UR Head Coach Adam Denton said after the game. “[But] then we fell asleep on the restart… It really changed the momentum of the game. We got a little bit passive.”

Allowing a second goal seemed to make UR come alive, as it was suddenly a worn-down GMU side that had to withstand prolonged pressure from the Spiders. Newman again proved problematic for the Patriots’ back line, pouncing on another through ball and nearly breaking out for a 1-on-1 scoring chance. GMU forced the possession into a corner kick, but only narrowly retained their two-score lead after UR pushed a header just wide left.

With 20 minutes left, GMU began to bleed the clock to protect their lead, trapping the ball in the corners of the field to draw out as much time as possible. UR pried possession from the Patriots for a handful of scoring chances, but shots from sophomore forward Kingsley Hughes and sophomore defender Erika Schneider were once more put just slightly off-the-mark, and the clock ran out on a UR comeback.

“This one really hurts, because now we’ve got to try and bounce back, and make sure our confidence and belief stays where it needs to be,” Denton said.

UR notched its sixth consecutive winless game with the loss, for a 3-4-3 overall mark and joining George Washington University as one of the two 0-2 squads in the A-10. GMU picked up its third victory, posting an overall record of 3-5-2.

A-10 action will continue for the Spiders, who travel to take on Fordham University on Sept. 28 at 2 p.m.

Contact sports editor Scott Valentine at scott.valentine@richmond.edu