The short story: Two goals apiece from sophomore winger Celio Pompeu and senior midfielder Oquin Robinson led the Rams to a dominant win, the 100th of head coach Dave Giffard‘s career, in the fall 2021 home opener.
QUICK FACTS
Giffard notched his 100th career win in his 12th season at the helm of the Rams.
Pompeu’s brace gave the Brazilian a team-high three goals and seven points on the season.
Robinson’s brace were his first two goals of the year after picking up an assist last time out at RV/#24 Charlotte.
ETSU played with ten men for the final 32 minutes of the match after goalkeeper Cole Hunter received his second yellow card.
In a physical match, the Bucs received eight total yellow cards.
VCU out-shot ETSU by a 19-7 margin, and held a 5-0 advantage in corner kicks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Rams were dangerous right out of the gate, with Pompeu pinging a ball to redshirt freshman Ethan Manheim who turned and fired a shot from 20 yards just wide of the right post in the first minute.
ETSU’s Hunter picked up his first yellow card in the 14th minute when he strayed outside of the box to pick up a ball. Robinson took the ensuing free kick, curling a shot over the wall and forcing a diving save.
Moments later, the Bucs struck first on the counter. Gabriel Ramos played a long ball from midfield to Tarik Pannholzer, who cut in on his right foot and curled a shot to the lower right corner to put ETSU in front 1-0.
In the 34th minute, Pompeu drew a foul in the box that resulted in a yellow card for ETSU’s Dominic Foster and a VCU penalty kick. Robinson stepped up to the spot and slotted home his first goal of the season to tie the match at 1-1.
VCU’s fluid play continued into a dominant second half, with a quality chance coming in the 50th minute. Robinson threaded a perfectly-weighted ball to freshman midfielder Damian Gallegos on the right wing, where he played a dangerous cross that senior forward Biska Biyombo nearly redirected into the goal as he slid through the six-yard box.
In the 57th minute, Pompeu skillfully created space for himself in the box, and fired a shot just over the bar.
Biyombo was in on goal in the 59th minute, and Hunter came off his line and fouled him with a sliding challenge, collecting his second yellow and forcing the Bucs to bring on Josh Perryman as a replacement goalkeeper. Pompeu took the ensuing free kick from 24 yards out, beautifully curling it into the top right corner to put the Rams in front 2-1.
Robinson doubled his tally in the 67th minute, collecting a rebound from Manheim’s header off a corner kick and heading it into the back of the net form close range to push the lead to 3-1.
Pompeu put a bow on the Rams’ scoring in the 74th minute, collecting a ball from redshirt junior midfielder Pierre Fiorre Mane, taking a deft touch around a defender, and slotting home a finish with his right foot.
QUOTING HEAD COACH DAVE GIFFARD “Tonight was an interesting game. We started brightly but had more control than we have the first few games, and I think that lulled us into a false sense of security at 0-0. We knew coming in that ETSU was excellent in transition, and that the number nine was absolutely quality. We didn’t deal with it very well, and sure enough, he scored a very good goal. We kept playing through and got it back and then in the second half our quality shone through over time.”
UP NEXT The Rams open the Atlantic 10 slate with a road match at Rhode Island on Saturday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. from Kingston, R.I. Every A-10 match is broadcast on ESPN+.
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Richard Hayes is the co-founder of RVAHub. When he isn't rounding up neighborhood news, he's likely watching soccer or chasing down the latest and greatest board game.
A changing of the guard appears to be afoot on Broad Street, and with it may come a new era of VCU basketball under a leader with history in the commonwealth.
Amid widespread reports that Pennsylvania native Mike Rhoades is set to accept an offer in excess of $3 million annually from Penn State, Utah State coach and former Hampden-Sydney captain and Virginia Tech assistant Ryan Odom has emerged as his likely replacement.
College basketball fans around the state may remember Odom well.
The former University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) coach led the Retrievers to their historic, 74-54 upset win over Virginia in the first round of the 2018 NCAA tournament. UMBC became the first No. 16 seed to ever take town a No. 1 seed.
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The National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA), Sportable, Central Virginia’s premier adaptive sports club, Richmond Region Tourism, and Henrico Sports & Entertainment Authority are proud to host the 2024 Adult and Junior Division Wheelchair Basketball National Tournaments. To be held over the first two weekends in April, the Championships will be held at the state-of-the-art Henrico Sports & Event Center in Henrico, Virginia.
“We are thrilled to announce that Junior & Adult Wheelchair Basketball Championships will be held in Richmond, VA in 2024,” commented Matt Pierre, NWBA Board of Directors, and National Tournaments Evaluation Team member. “The team in Richmond – Richmond Region Tourism, Sportable, and the Henrico Sports Authority – put together an impressive bid, and are committed to elevating our championship events to the next level. We are excited for this opportunity, and believe our members will love the experience that will be offered.”
“We are grateful for the support of the NWBA, Richmond Region Tourism, and Henrico Sports & Entertainment Authority to bring the 2024 Wheelchair Basketball National Championships to Richmond,” commented Hunter Leemon, Sportable Executive Director. “We have the infrastructure in place to execute a world class event, and we are confident that our community will embrace the NWBA – athletes, families, staff, volunteers, and supporters – and create the best championship experience possible.”
The top 16 ranked wheelchair basketball teams for each Adult Division (I, II, III) will earn an invitation to their respective divisions’ national tournament April 12-14, 2024. The top 32 ranked teams for Varsity level and the top 16 ranked teams from Prep level will earn an invitation to participate in the NWBA Varsity and Prep Wheelchair Basketball National Championships one week prior, April 5-7, 2024. In total, 96 teams and over 1,100 wheelchair basketball players will compete for a coveted national title during the two events.
“It is an honor to be selected by the NWBA leadership team to host the NWBA National Championship Series,” said Jerrine Lee, Vice President of Sales for Richmond Region Tourism. “This a great opportunity for our region to showcase our outstanding facilities and attractions, and showcase our pride and commitment to being a welcoming and inclusive destination where everyone can play. We are honored to partner with Sportable and the Henrico Sports & Entertainment Authority to provide a world-class experience for the athletes, coaches and fans.”
The host venue, Henrico Sports & Event Center, is set to open in September 2023 and features more than 115,000-square feet of adaptable event space with 12 basketball courts.
“We’re very excited to welcome the NWBA and its athletes to our new indoor sports and events center,” said Dennis Bickmeier, Executive Director of the Henrico Sports & Entertainment Authority. “This tournament will be a signature event in the early history of the facility. We look forward to working with our partners to deliver this showcase event to our community and witnessing the athleticism and teamwork that will happen over the two weeks of competition.”
Founded in 1981, the Rim Riders wheelchair basketball team has been a mainstay in Richmond for more than 40 years. The team merged with Sportable in 2017 and is a Division II member of the NWBA. The Rim Riders are currently ranked 14th in the country, and will compete in the 2023 NWBA National Championships in Wichita, Kansas March 31-April 2.
About Sportable For nearly 18 years, Sportable has created opportunities and transformed lives through sport for individuals with physical disabilities and visual impairments. The non-profit organization provides sporting opportunities to more than 400 athletes of all ages by offering competitive and recreational adaptive sports programs year-round. By fostering a fun, inclusive, competitive, and accessible environment, Sportable transforms the lives of athletes and frees them to see beyond their disabilities, enhances their peer relationships and helps them to reach their personal finish line. To make an impact today, visit Sportable.com/donate.
About the National Wheelchair Basketball Association The National Wheelchair Basketball Association is the recognized National Organization for Wheelchair Basketball by the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation and the High Performance Management Organization by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. The NWBA trains and selects teams for participation in the Paralympic Games, World Championships, and other international competitions. The NWBA was founded in 1949, and today consists of seven divisions including: Adult Division (I, II and III), Women’s Division, Intercollegiate Men’s Division, Intercollegiate Women’s Division and Junior Division. For more information, visit: www.nwba.org.
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The Richmond Kickers (0-1-0) earned a hard-fought point on the road at fellow 2022 USL League One playoff team, Charlotte Independence (0-1-0), to open the 2023 USL League One season, Saturday night.
Akira Fitzgerald made history when he stepped out onto the pitch becoming the first player in league history to reach 100 regular-season appearances. The iron man between the pipes marked the occasion with his first clean sheet of the season.
In front of Fitzgerald was a Richmond backline that picked up where it left off last season when it conceded the second-fewest goals in the league. Despite Charlotte attempting 16 shots, the Kickers limited the Jacks to only four on target and Fitzgerald was there to keep the net clear.
Defense was a team effort for the Roos as midfielder Justin Sukow tied defender Michael Hornsby with four tackles won apiece which led the team.
Meanwhile, the Kickers dictated the flow of the match, earning nearly 56 percent possession.
Nil Vinyals delivered the Kickers’ best scoring opportunity of the match in the 22nd minute. Hornsby gathered the ball on the left wing before passing it off to the Spaniard who cut in toward the box. Vinyals darted through three defenders, running parallel to the goalline, before cutting a shot back towards the near post that required the Charlotte goalkeeper to make a diving save.
The Kickers return to RVA for a week of training before heading back to Greenville, S.C. to face Triumph SC for the second match of the season on March 25 at 7 p.m.
The Roos then prepare for their home opener at City Stadium on April 1 at 6 p.m. when they will host Independence for a rematch. It will be during the match against Independence that the Kickers will debut their 2023 primary jersey, The Red Night Kit.
Tickets for the match are still available but are selling fast. For a cost as low as $10 per match, Kickers fans can save the most with Season Tickets while unlocking exclusive perks and experiences. With one additional regular season match and two new opponents joining USL League One in 2023, City Stadium will be the place to be! Additional information can be found at richmondkickers.com/seasontickets.
Stay up to date with all of the Kickers news at RichmondKickers.com and on social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Download the Richmond Kickers mobile app for news, contests, and more!
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