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Flyers Hold Off SIU-Edwardsville 3-2
Flyers Hold Off SIU-Edwardsville 3-2
Christopher Rieman
Published by Chris R
09-26-2008
Smile Flyers Hold Off SIU-Edwardsville 3-2

DAYTON (OH) -- Dayton built a 3-0 second half lead and held off a gritty comeback from SIU-Edwardsville to prevail 3-2 before 545 fans at Baujan Field. The Flyers improve to 6-2-1 while SIUE falls to 3-5 as the A10 conference season approaches.

Those in the know who follow college soccer had a feeling Friday evening's match against SIU-Edwardsville would be entertaining. After all, SIUE has been a Division-II national power for decades with more NCAA pedigree than all but the most elite Division-I schools. Many top-level Division-II schools like SIUE trump even mid-major Division-I programs. Perhaps that's why the Cougars fought #17 Loyola (IL) to a 1-0 loss just a few days prior. Using this season as a transition into full-fledged D-I membership, the Cougars provided a different kind of challenge for Head Coach Dennis Currier.

The Flyers got off to a great start and after five minutes of play, things looked like they could end up a rout. UD won most of the loose balls and precision passing and strong team play resulted in several dangerous attacks in the offensive third of the field. SIUE looked confused and a step slow, somewhat surprising considering their talent level. At the same time, Dayton had a lot to do with it. Ben Murray and Josh Albers showcased a great work ethic in the attack and used their speed and anticipation to cause problems for the Cougar defense.

After 20 minutes however, SIUE found their legs and settled in. Obvious to all fans in attendance, the SIUE roster lacked about three inches and 30lb at every position -- not surprising considering many solid soccer players fall through the D-I recruiting cracks because size is oftentimes seen as a liability. While they sported HS bodies however, their technical ability and teamwork began to even the play. The two sides could not have been more different, but the soccer grew intensely entertaining as the match wore on.

Dayton had several great chances to find the back of the net, but had trouble connecting on the final touch or getting on the end of a well-placed cross in the box. On the other end, SIUE countered with quick responses in transition, rocketing a shot off the near post midway through the first half and nearly connecting on another shortly thereafter. While UD had more plentiful chances, the Cougars came closest to scoring.

By halftime, UD earned a 7-5 edge in shots on goal and a 4-1 advantage in free kicks from the corner flag.

The fireworks began in the second half as Dayton stepped it up a notch and started to impose their will on the strong-willed but physically out-matched Cougars. Dayton took the first big step just 47 seconds into the second half when Isaac Kissi crossed a ball from the left end line that found the foot of Josh Albers directly in front of the goal for a 1-0 lead. From there, Dayton maintained great posture both offensively and defensively, aided in part by excellent organization and spacing. Free space resulted and the UD defenders and mids stepping into the open range and making something happen.

Dayton added a much-needed second goal in the 60th minute when freshman defender Jack Pearson headed a ball in from four yards out at the tail end of a Zach Weiss corner kick. Things were looking good and though SIUE was hanging in there at times, the writing on the wall looked inevitable. Kissi would add this second assist of the match in the 69th minute -- nearly a carbon copy of the first with a ball placed from the left end line in front of the box. Josh Albers cleaned it up for the 3-0 lead. With 20 minutes remaining, the outcome looked academic and the result highly impressive.

The Cougars would respond however. Jack Twellman headed in a cross on the goal line to cut the deficit to 3-1 in the 84th minute. Mike Jones would trim the lead to 3-2 in the 87th minute by cleaning up a rebound near the goal line, forcing UD to re-focus and play keep-away over the remaining five minutes.

The match had a little of everything, most of it compelling from a fan's perspective. The Flyers played excellent soccer and were sharp throughout, demonstrating a high level of execution on both sides of the ball. At the same time, SIUE showed a lot of spunk and fight for a program good enough to beat a lot of D-I programs on most nights -- demonstrated by a 3-1 win over Wright State earlier in the season. From a technical skill standpoint, the Cougars matched up with UD very well. The difference was the lack of size and strength. But their tenacity and competitive drive was entertaining despite their God-given limitations. Over 90 minutes, there wasn't much to dislike from either side.

Dayton enjoys a two-week layoff before hosting Richmond at Baujan Field on October 10.

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