Flyers Dominate Dukes 4-0

DAYTON (OH) -- A pair of goals in each half surrounded by dominating ball possession did the job on Sunday afternoon as the Dayton Flyers overwhelmed Duquesne 4-0 on a mild, sunny, picture-perfect autumn afternoon at Baujan Field. Dayton improves to 12-4 (6-1) while the Dukes fall to 6-9-2 (2-4-1).

It didn't take long for the Flyers to grab control of the run of play. Much like Friday evening's match against. St. Bonaventure, Dayton utilized a distinct talent advantage after the opening whistle to gain possession and knock the ball around with relatively good success. Some of the one-touch passing was sharp and the speed of play was an important reason for UD's strong posture in the opening minutes. Whether working the ball out of the back or playing directly through the midfield, the Flyers found the time they needed to play accurate balls and string passes together.

Colleen Williams and Ashley Campbell posted up top as target forwards, while Kelsey Smigel added some pressure as a tertiary attacker in the offensive half of the field. The Dayton back line did an excellent job of picking off Duquesne service and turning plays into quick counter-attacks out of the defensive half.

The Flyers pelted the Dukes' goal box with shots and crosses, but Duquesne proved pesky and had a number of last-second deflections or clears to save themselves from getting down early. In some respects, UD was more unlucky than unprepared to score. Dayton threw numbers in the box and many balls were just one touch away from catching Duquesne out of position for the clear shot into a relatively open net. To the Dukes' credit, they hung in there in spite of the consistent pressure in their defensive third.

With luck not on their side and a bit of sloppiness in front of the box, UD spent the first 30 minutes out-playing Duquesne in every phase but with nothing to show for it on the scoreboard. UD's mainstay in 2012 has been persistent pressure on offense -- wearing down defenders until they make a mistake. The first score came from attrition in the 30th minute when Alysha Mallon bent a corner kick into the Duquesne box just in front of the goal line. Misplayed by the Dukes' back line, the ball squirted through the mixer and tucked inside the far post for the unassisted score and the 1-0 Flyer lead. It was unconventional and Duquesne didn't help themselves with a muffed clearance, but the goal made up for other Dayton chances where they were inches away from scoring.

The next 10 minutes were UD's chance to work with a lead and probe the touch lines where Juliana Libertin could run the legs out of her defenders. Inside the 18s, Williams, Nicole Waters, and Alexis Garcia did well to engage in some combination play to work the ball north and south. More excellent scoring chances came and went. Somehow, Duquesne clung to a 1-0 lead in spite of the onslaught.

UD went up 2-0 just two minutes before halftime when Campbell fed a great ball behind the Duquesne back line from 30 yards out, freeing up Stephanie Emery running toward the end line. Emery's cross forced Dukes goalkeeper Devon Tabata to make a low save at the near post, but she couldn't make a clean stop. The ball squirted away and Libertin hammered home the point-blank chance to reward the Flyers for a solid half of work.

Halftime stats were all Dayton. Shots were 15-2 while corner kicks were 5-0.

The second half remained in UD's control, though some sloppiness crept in over the first 15 minutes as Duquesne played with a tougher presence and things got a bit chippy. The Dukes did as well as they could to keep one of the NCAA's top scoring offenses in check and for the most part, they made the Flyers work for it. Their back line was outmatched, but held tough and covered up for a lack of individual skills with a commendable tag-team effort. At the same time however, the Flyers were snake-bitten. Several outstanding scoring chances came and went. Shots caromed off the crossbar, off the far post, and were deflected at the last second when they appeared on frame and destined for the back of the net.

The constant pressure wore Duquesne down however and UD finally capitalized on a clean scoring chance in the 70th minute when Williams fed Campbell with a short through-ball inside the box. Campbell's flick from 10yds out slotted past the goalkeeper to give UD a commanding 3-0 lead.

Three minutes later, Campbell was taken down in front of the box and the referee awarded Dayton a PK. Williams went low and left on her kick. The shot was deflected, but not enough to keep the ball from trickling just over the goal line to make the score 4-0.

Shortly thereafter, Head Coach Mike Tucker pulled the starters and emptied the bench. The Flyers created more scoring chances but couldn't cash in and the match finished in routine fashion with nothing left to settle.

For the match, UD out-shot Duquesne 36-7 and owned a commanding 12-2 advantage in corner kicks. Williams took 11 shots on the afternoon while Campbell was credited with seven.

In many respects, Duquesne was fortunate to lose by only four goals. Had the Flyers scored on their best strikes of the ball and chances in front of the net, the result could have been 6-0 or 7-0 -- or worse. Those missed opportunities had as much to do with rotten luck as it did a lack of execution.

Dayton played well in nearly all phases and the much-maligned defense continues to show progress, notching their fourth straight shutout after giving up goals like a leaking faucet. The progress has been encouraging since coughing up three goals to Butler in UD's last loss on Oct. 5th. Meghan Scharer had a solid effort in the back line and so too Haley Keller.

Perhaps the best of the bunch however was Alysha Mallon. Her play was by far her best effort all season as she picked off passes, dribbled forward with pace, distributed to teammates, and played with supreme confidence with the ball at her feet. Mallon provides some offensive punch and spent much of Sunday afternoon transitioning the Flyers from defense to offense along the left side of the field.

Dayton wraps up the regular season next week against A10 contenders Richmond and VCU. The matches at Baujan Field will go a long way to sorting out the A10 title race as well as seeding for the A10 Tournament. Because the Flyers do not play Charlotte or LaSalle, UD needs some help at the top of the league standings to leapfrog their way to the conference lead and the #1 overall seed.

	Richmond UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND Founded in 1830, the private liberal arts university in the Commonwealth boasts 2,800 students in 57 majors within its picturesque 350-acre campus. The Robins School of Business is one of the Top-20 business schools in the country. Nickname is the Spiders and are fellow A10 Conference members.

	Mike Tucker MIKE TUCKER Head coach of the UD women's soccer team. Career leader in A10 wins, Tucker's teams have made the NCAA tournament five times including one Sweet 16 appearance. Seven league titles and two NSCAA All-Americans. Consistently develops league Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year. Tucker's ability to remain at or near the top of the A10 each season has been a consistent force. Excellent recruiter with proven record of signing prep All-Americans and other talent that's under-rated. Fierce scheduler willing to play anyone anytime.

	Duquesne DUQUESNE Duquesne University is a private, coeducational university, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania located on 48 secluded acres, on a bluff above downtown. Founded in 1878 as a Catholic college by the Order of the Holy Spirit. It is the only Spiritan institution of higher education in the world. Duquesne offers 10 schools of study and 100 degree programs to 6,000 undergraduates and 3,800 graduate students. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Dukes.

	LaSalle LA SALLE In 1863, La Salle University was established through the legacy of St. John Baptist de La Salle and the Christian Brothers teaching order, which De La Salle founded 300 years ago. Located in Philadelphia, La Salle is an educational community shaped by traditional Catholic and Lasallian values. La Salle's main campus is an ideal place for students to pursue an education. The 130-acre park-like setting includes 54 buildings and is located approximately six miles from Center City Philadelphia. The University can accommodate 2,114 resident students in its 12 residence halls, two apartment complexes, and 75 townhouses. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Explorers. Notable athletes include Tom Gola and Lionel Simmons.

	Charlotte CHARLOTTE UNC Charlotte is one of a generation of universities founded in metropolitan areas of the United States immediately after World War II in response to rising education demands generated by the war and its technology. Now a research intensive university, UNC Charlotte is the fourth largest of the 16 institutions within the University of North Carolina system and the largest institution in the Charlotte region. The university comprises seven professional colleges and currently offers 18 doctoral programs, 62 master’s degree programs and 90 bachelor’s degrees. More than 900 full-time faculty comprise the university’s academic departments and the 2007 fall enrollment exceeded 22,300 students. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the 49ers.