WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - The William and Mary men's soccer team defeated in-state foe Virginia Tech, 1-0, Saturday night from Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly Field. Behind junior Roshan Patel's first-half goal, and an overall edge in shots on goal, and total shots, the College closed out exhibition play in preparation for the season opener on Friday, Aug. 24, against Butler in Richmond, Va.
The College netted the night's first goal in the 22nd minute. Senior Ben Anderson served a Tribe corner opportunity, which resulted in multiple shots, ending with Patel putting in a rebound off of sophomore Marcus Luster's first attempt. Patel gathered the rebound outside the 18-yard box and tucked it into the right side netting.
Late in the first half, the Hokies advanced their possession down the left wing, deep into W&M territory. When it seemed that Tech had a promising opportunity, freshman midfielder Jackson Eskay executed a slide tackle to perfection, which gave the Green Gold possession back and one-goal advantage at the intermission.
In the opening minutes of the second half, W&M was on the verge of increasing its lead by two scores. In the 46th minute, sophomore Andrew Kestler connected on a rocket from just outside the penalty that sailed just high of goal. Moments later, Luster fired a shot just yards away from frame, but was unable to put through the Tribe's second goal of the evening as Virginia Tech goalkeeper Kyle Renfro made a quality save. Just 16 minutes into the second frame, W&M had accumulated seven shots for the half.
In goal, junior Alex Harrington played the opening 45 minutes, tallying one save, while sophomore Bennett Jones entered at halftime and secured a save en route to preserving the shutout. For the match, the College held the edge in shots 14-8 and shots on goal 7-2.
The College will open the 2012 season playing in a tournament hosted by Virginia Commonwealth. W&M will open the year on Friday, Aug. 24, against the Butler Bulldogs. Kickoff from the Sports Backers Stadium in Richmond, Va., is slated for 5 p.m. For all the latest news on Tribe soccer, go to TribeAthletics.com.
