Second-Half Goal Propels W&M Past American

Sophomore forward Price Thomas tallied his first career game-winner against the Eagles.

09/25/07 11:00PM

Williamsburg - Playing its third game in seven days, the William and Mary men’s soccer team pulled out a 1-0 victory over former Colonial Athletic Association foe American on Tuesday evening at Albert-Daly Field. Sophomore forward Price Thomas tallied his second goal in as many contests, notching his first career game-winner midway through the second half. With the victory, W&M evened its record at 3-3-2, while American fell to 3-4-1 on the season.

“Good teams find ways to win games where they are not their best, and we found a way to pull one out tonight,” head coach Chris Norris said. “I was happy that we were able to get the shutout. It was good to see the guys psychology overcome a missed penalty kick and push forward for the goal. We were not at our best tonight, but as a coaching staff, we kind of expected it knowing that we had played two tough double-overtime games in five days. I am proud of how the guys battled, and in the end, come out with the win."

After playing 220 minutes of soccer within the last week with ties against ACC foes North Carolina and No. 12 Virginia Tech, the Tribe came out flat against the Eagles. American did not fare much better as the teams spent much of the first half, battling back and forth between the 18-yard lines.

Despite the slow start, W&M had the better of the chances in the opening 45 minutes of play, outshooting AU, 4-3. The first quality chance of the night for the Tribe came in the 27th minute of play. After Thomas served a ball into the box from the right wing, it was deflected back out and collected on the right side of the midfield by junior Doug McBride. The Mechanicsville, Va., native one-timed a 25-yard shot that bent wide of the back post, before being corralled by the Eagle goalkeeper.

Just over two minutes later, Thomas had a long-distance opportunity for the College. The Charlottesville, Va., native collected the ball on the left side of the midfield and ripped a low liner from 30 yards out that was blocked by AU goalkeeper Chris Sedlak.

In the 34th minute, American had a goal-scoring opportunity. A long service by Phil Purdy was blocked by the Tribe defense, but bounded to the Eagles’ Daniel Shannon. His attempt inside the penalty area, though, went wide of the left post.

Two minutes before half, senior midfielder Doug Ernst sent an attempt just wide of the far post from 12 yards out. The freshman midfield pair of Peter Christmas and Ian Stowe connected in the midfield, before Stowe dumped a pass off to Ernst, leading him into the penalty box.

It looked as though W&M would take the lead just 2:35 into the second half, as the College earned a penalty kick. After breaking free down the left flank, Thomas lofted a cross to the back post, finding an open Ernst. The Tribe senior chested the ball down, before settling and calming slotting a pass to a wide-open Stowe at the penalty mark. The W&M rookie midfielder was taken down from behind and the referee called the penalty. The chance would not come to fruition for the College though as junior Brock Jones lifted the spot kick high of the Eagle goal.

The Eagles opening chance of the second half came in the 52nd minute. Off a free kick, the W&M defense cleared the ball out of the penalty area. American’s Mark Wysocki collected the ball 30 yards from goal on the left side and sent a one-timer toward the far post. McAdams was up to the task, smothering the shot for his first save of the match.

Thomas had another threatening opportunity with 30 minutes remaining. Redshirt freshman forward Alan Koger flicked a header down the left side to set Thomas free. The sophomore frontrunner out raced a defender into the penalty area, before bending a shot toward the far post. Sedlak got a hand to the effort, pushing it wide of the frame for a Tribe corner kick.

The Eagles put together a nice series of passing though the midfield with the ball ending at the foot of Cameron Petty. His long attempt on frame from the center of the pitch was denied by McAdams.

McAdams stopped another Petty shot in the 70th minute. The chance came off a corner kick as Shannon served the ball to the far side of the six-yard box, where Petty headed the ball down toward the left post. McAdams got his hand to the bounding header, pushing it over the crossbar.

On the ensuing corner, the Tribe broke through for the only score of the game on the counter attack. The ball took a dangerous deflection, but was collected by McAdams. He punted a long ball over the midfield line that found Thomas on a run. He touched the ball around and out raced a defender into the penalty area, before slotting the breakaway chance under the rushing Eagle goalkeeper.

Just over two minutes later, McAdams stopped another Eagle shot to preserve the College shutout. A combination between Shannon and David Menzie on the right side set up a dangerous cross from American. Jon Freimark settled the pass from Shannon, cutting back to the center and sending a shot on frame that was easily stopped by McAdams.

The final American chance came in the 88th minute. Eagle forward Mike Worden gained space on the right flank and center a pass at the top of the 18 to Shannon. He cut back to the right, but his attempt went well wide of the far post, and the Tribe defense held on for its third clean sheet of the year.

McAdams finished with five saves, all in the second half, for his second shutout in the last three games. Thomas led the W&M attack with three shots, all of which were on goal.

The College will return to action when it travels to battle the Seawolves of Stony Brook on Saturday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m. The Seawolves are 5-3 on the season, following a 4-1 victory over Marist on Tuesday night. Last season, W&M defeated Stony Brook, 2-0, in Williamsburg.

Box Score