Tribe Finishes Second at ODU Stihl Soccer Classic

Rookie striker Alan Koger scored his third goal in the last two games agianst Dartmouth.

09/16/07 7:00PM

Norfolk, Va. - The William and Mary men’s soccer team dropped the second game of the ODU Stihl Soccer Classic, falling to Dartmouth, 2-1, on Sunday. The Tribe overcame an early deficit to forge a tie heading into the half, but the Big Green made a goal midway through the second half stand up for the victory. Thanks to a positive goal differential (+1) in the classic, the Tribe finished second behind the Big Green at the event. Dartmouth improved to 3-1-1, while W&M dropped to 2-3.

“In terms of our performance for the season, this game fit right in the middle,” head coach Chris Norris said. “We had some bright spots, but I felt like both goals we allowed were soft. The game was played mostly between the 18’s with both teams battling for the ball in the midfield. We just did not create enough to counter the two goals we gave up.”

Dartmouth put the Tribe in an early hole, scoring on the game’s initial shot in the fourth minute of play. Mark Ordonez found Andrew Olsen for the first score of the game at the 3:08 to stake the Big Green to the early advantage.

The Big Green outshot W&M, 7-1, in the opening 45 minutes, but the Tribe used the attempt to its advantage in the 30th minute as a pair of rookie hooked up for a W&M tally. Freshman midfielder Nathaniel Baako sent a through ball to redshirt striker Alan Koger, setting the Spencer, Va., native free on a break. Koger slotted home the shot for his third goal in the two games at the ODU Stihl Soccer Classic. It was the first assist of Baako’s W&M career.

The Tribe put more pressure on the Big Green in the beginning of the second half, taking the first five shots of the second half, but could not put any on goal. Senior midfielder Doug Ernst and sophomore back Roger Bothe put shots wide of the mark a minute a part in the 53rd and 54th minutes. In the 64th minute, Koger sent a shot that was blocked wide the Dartmouth goal resulting in a W&M corner kick. Baako and junior midfielder Doug McBride place attempts high and wide of the goal in the 65th and 66th minutes, respectively.

Dartmouth found the mark on its first chance of the second half to take a 2-1 cushion. At the 67:52 mark, Olsen found Craig Henderson, who scored his third goal of the year and second game-winner.

Freshman midfielder Ian Stowe had the final W&M chance in the 79th minute of play, but his shot was stopped by Big Green goalkeeper Sean Milligan. The Tribe had a pair of corner kick chances over the final eight minutes of the game, but could not take advantage of opportunities.

Koger, Baako and junior midfielder Brock Jones, who finished with an assist and a goal in the Tribe’s 3-1 win over Temple, were named to the ODU Stihl Soccer Classic All-Tournament team. Dartmouth held a 10-7 advantage in shots, while W&M held a slim, 4-3, cushion in the corner kick department. W&M outshot, 6-3, and outcornered, 3-0, the Big Green in the second half. Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Andrew McAdams finished with two saves in his second career start.

The Tribe will return to action next week with a pair of matches against Atlantic Coast Conference foes. W&M will travel to Chapel Hill, N.C., on Wednesday, Sept. 19, for a 7:30 p.m. start against the Tar Heels. UNC is 2-1-2 on the year and receiving votes in the most recent adidas/NSCAA Top 25. W&M will return to the friendly confines of Albert-Daly Field to face No. 19 Virginia Tech on Saturday, Sept. 22, at 7 p.m. The Hokies are 5-1 after wins over No. 23 Tulsa, 3-2, and Oral Roberts, 3-1, over the weekend.

Box Score