Women's soccer falls 3-0 to Old Dominion

The University of Richmond soccer team lost 3-0 to Old Dominion University on Sept. 8. 

After a back-and-forth first period, neither team was able to break into the scoring column, keeping it even at 0-0. However, two minutes into the second period, ODU found the back of the net and from there, the Spiders were unable to stop the Monarch’s post-halftime surge. ODU went on to score twice more, and UR was left scoreless as time expired. 

Over the course of the match, junior goalkeeper Taylor Montague was able to garner 10 saves, compared to ODU’s five. 

But, the Monarchs’ 17 total shots on goal proved too much for the Spider defense, and ODU was able to keep the ball on the opposite side of the field for the majority of the second period. 

“I thought that we competed okay, but Old Dominion is very good in the air, and they demonstrated that by beating us to almost every ball in the air,” Head Coach Marty Beall said. “So, they were more physical than us, more aggressive than us. And then, we didn’t defend the counter-attack well enough.”

This loss drops the Spiders’ record to 1-4-1 for the season. In six games played, the Spiders have only generated two goals, both of which senior forward Molly Wierman scored. Opposing teams have outscored the Spiders 9-2, and this game makes three losses in a row for the Spiders.

“I think in the first half, we really tried to press, and we got them on their heels for a little bit,” junior midfielder Hannah Antonick said. “And then, we came out a little flat-footed in the second half, and they got a first goal pretty quickly. So, I think our mentality starts to decline.”

Beall said the team had a growth mindset for the season thus far, and they come out every day to get better. 

“We are making improvements, but it’s like we’re making improvements in one area, and then we forget about a different area,” Beall said. “So, we have to be able to make improvements in one area and carry that over to the next area.”  

Contact sports writer Jimmy James at jimmy.james@richmond.edu.