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WSOC: UD Blanks VCU 3-0; Reaches A10 Final
WSOC: UD Blanks VCU 3-0; Reaches A10 Final
Christopher Rieman
Published by Chris R
11-08-2014
WSOC: UD Blanks VCU 3-0; Reaches A10 Final

Judging by the post-game exuberance displayed by UD Women's Soccer Head Coach Mike Tucker, he likes his chances on Sunday.

The Dayton Flyers are one win away from an A10 Tournament title thanks to a hard-fought 3-0 victory over the VCU Rams Friday evening at Baujan Field. The second semifinal matchup up the day decided who will ultimately face top-seed LaSalle on Sunday afternoon for all the marbles. A first half goal by Meghan Blank and a pair of late second half tallies secured the win and sent the Flyer skipper to the UD fan section along the sidelines for high-fives and fist pumps. Seeking his 9th A10 Tourney title, UD will look to avenge a 1-0 regular season loss to the Explorers just a couple weeks ago.

Dayton got off to a good start after the opening whistle. Both teams were helped in part by less caustic weather conditions too. While temperatures dipped into the upper 30s, the driving wind and rain from the prior evening was nowhere to be found, allowing the players to let their skill sets do the talking.

Minutes into the match UD began to generate a favorable posture, with a lot of credit going to senior Chelsea Rose's bulldog physicality in the central third of the pitch. What she gave up in size she made up for in determination to win loose balls and seal off her defender, something she did so well that the officials awarded the Flyers several free kicks after her mark grew frustrated and ended up fouling.

While there wasn't much in the way of dangerous scoring chances to open the game, the attitude was good and players were fully entrenched in the competitiveness of the match. It was that competitiveness that overcame the sometimes sloppy play as passing and communication suffered at times as Dayton tried to push forward.

Both sides traded possession with extensive battles ongoing in the midfield pitting UD's trio of Nicole Waters, Libby Leedom, and Erin O'Malley and the opposing VCU mids standing in their way. Dayton did just enough to alter VCU's attack and did well to almost completely negate the small but dangerous Kailyn Slade in VCU's offense.

The Flyers' best early scoring chances came on direct balls over the top or through the VCU back line to Ashley Campbell running north-south. When that didn't work -- and for the first 20 minutes it mostly didn't -- UD tried piercing the flanks with balls down the touch lines. That's where UD hit pay-dirt in the 26th minute after sending a ball into the box from the right side. A shot deflected to the far left post and Meghan Blank was there with a weak-side run to pound it home for the 1-0 Dayton lead.

The last 20 minutes of the first half evened out and VCU found room in the offensive half of the field to try to even the score. Dayton lost a few marks in the middle and allowed the Rams to dribble-drive across the face of the goal box with intentions to shoot uncontested. Two things usually happened: either shots were off target or UD got a foot in the way at the last second to alter a dangerous attempt on frame.

The half ended with UD turning away a couple dangerous long balls in the box to preserve the 1-0 lead. Shots and corner kicks favored UD 10-6 and 2-1 respectively.

The second half proved equally competitive as both sides fought tooth-and-nail for extended possession. The play was back-and-forth and not especially clean, but there was enough attacking room on the field to conclude more goals were yet to come. The next goal would probably decide the match.

For 35 minutes however, the score remained unchanged. The Flyers had a couple great chances later in the second half on nifty cut-backs inside the box, but the resulting shots were aimed directly at VCU GK Emma Kruse that resulted in routine saves.

Waters took a free kick from just outside the goal box a bit later and sent it two feet over the crossbar. Dayton was knocking on the door no doubt, but couldn't cash in on their chances to break the match wide open. Conversely, the Rams had a couple solid looks of their own from long distance -- including one that just went left of the goal post. The Flyer back line was solid if not unspectacular throughout the second half however, and for the most part defended well in space when matched 1 vs. 1.

UD finally cashed in on a textbook goalkeeper challenge in the 82nd minute when Campbell back-tracked a ball to the VCU goalkeeper, blocked the clear, corralled the ball, took a couple touches to separate from a retreating defender, and aced it into an open net to put the Flyers up 2-0 with just eight minutes remaining. It was an unassisted goal that effectively stuck a fork in VCU's season.

UD wasn't finished however and added a "feel-good" goal in the 87th minute on a high-class juke along the right sideline by freshman Alexis Kiehl. Faking a retreat and then pushing the ball forward, she left her defender in concrete and walked in on the goal mouth unimpeded. Though free to take her own shot, Kiehl chose to play a square ball to Campbell filling in towards the middle of the six yard box. The tap-in put UD up 3-0 and sent the Flyer bench into a frenzy and while the shoulders of the VCU players slumped in despair. The goal came just minutes after VCU lost a player to red card after an extracurricular push on Waters preceded a four-letter commentary to the official.

VCU out-shot Dayton 8-7 in the second half, but UD made up for it with a 4-0 advantage in corner kicks.

Much like Thursday's 2-1 OT quarterfinal victory over St. Joseph's, the Flyers played through their rough spots and learned that elbow grease can overcome execution and still yield desired results. There were moments of solid soccer IQ and stretches of errant passes that lacked purpose, but Dayton battled through the imperfections with a hard, gritty effort by all 11 players on the pitch. Mike Tucker's team has elevated the work-rate and what they lack in finishing they are making up for in scoring opportunities. Defensively, they have avoided the major gaffs in the A10 Tournament thus far that have plagued the team all season. Put the two forces together and it's how they have successfully reached the A10 Finals.

Waters, Campbell, O'Malley, and Kiehl were on top of their games from start to finish. Important contributions from the aforementioned Rose, Blank, Leedom, and Nicolette Griesinger chipped in to put the Flyers over the top.

UD gets what they wanted -- a rematch with LaSalle. The Explorers dumped the Flyers in the 2013 A10 Final in PKs, and edged UD just a couple weeks ago during the regular season. Not having lost to UD since 2010, they won't be intimidated either. UD appears to be peaking at the right time however and judging by their reaction after Friday's win over VCU, they 'remember the Alamo' quite fondly and have a score to settle.

Kickoff on Sunday is 1pm.

















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