News Summary
The Old Dominion University women’s soccer team achieved a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Virginia Commonwealth University at Sports Backers Stadium. ODU’s Riley Mullen was a key player, scoring both goals early in the match. Although VCU managed to score later in the first half, ODU maintained control throughout the game, taking a total of 19 shots. The win is significant for ODU as they prepare for the upcoming Sun Belt Conference matches.
Richmond, Va. – The Old Dominion University (ODU) women’s soccer team secured a 2-1 victory over Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) on Saturday night at Sports Backers Stadium. This win marked an important step for ODU as they continue to build momentum ahead of their conference matches.
Head Coach Angie Hind characterized the match as highly competitive, reflecting the intense rivalry between the two schools. ODU demonstrated a strong performance particularly in the early stages of the game, scoring twice within the first 19 minutes.
Riley Mullen was the standout player for ODU, scoring both goals early in the match. Mullen opened the scoring just six minutes after the whistle, converting a precise assist from Katie Lutz, who delivered the ball from the right wing. Mullen doubled the lead by finding the back of the net again in the 19th minute, receiving an incisive pass from Yuliia Khrystiuk to place the ball into the top right corner, making the score 2-0.
VCU responded with determination, pulling a goal back at 2-1 in the 28th minute. Vivian Vendt converted a corner kick, taken by Jensyn Lins, capitalizing on the opportunity to help shift momentum. Despite VCU’s goal, Old Dominion maintained control and recorded a total of 19 shots throughout the match, with 9 of them being on target.
During the first half, ODU’s offensive efforts were significant, registering 12 shots and forcing VCU’s goalkeeper, Mia Pongratz, to make an impressive 5 saves. In contrast, VCU only managed 6 shots in total and had 4 shots on goal with ODU’s goalkeeper, Ellie Goodrich, making 2 saves.
The second half largely favored Old Dominion, as they limited VCU to just one shot while attempting 7 shots in an effort to extend their lead. However, none of the second-half attempts resulted in goals, resulting in a final score of 2-1 in favor of ODU.
ODU concluded the match after putting together a total of 19 shots and 9 shots on goal, while VCU totaled 7 shots and 5 on goal. Additionally, ODU had 2 corner kicks as opposed to VCU’s 4. Pongratz had a remarkable match for VCU, making a total of 7 saves, while Goodrich had 3 saves for ODU.
Notable players who contributed throughout the entire match for ODU included Gry Boe Thrysoe, Dylan McEntarfer, and Ashlynn Kulha. For VCU, players Ava Pustover, Y-Van Nguyen, Jordyn Hall, and Stella Castro also completed the full 90 minutes without being substituted.
Following the match, Coach Hind expressed satisfaction with the victory while emphasizing the importance of recovery and preparation as the team gears up for the start of Sun Belt Conference play.
ODU will continue their season with a home game against Appalachian State on Saturday, September 13, at 6 p.m. This match will serve as an important opportunity for the Monarchs as they transition to the competitive conference landscape.
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HERE Resources
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Additional Resources
- ODU Women’s Soccer Defeats VCU
- Wikipedia: Old Dominion Monarchs
- ODU Women’s Soccer Prepares for VCU Match
- Google Search: ODU Women’s Soccer
- ODU Field Hockey Falls to VCU
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Field Hockey
- ODU Field Hockey Season Opening
- Google News: ODU Sports
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