Photos and Game Summary: A Missed PK Dooms Rams Against Davidson this Past Saturday

Official VCU Game Summary

Score: VCU 0, Davidson 1
Location: Richmond, Va. (Sports Backers Stadium)
Records: VCU 2-5-5 (2-1-2), Davidson 8-2-1 (4-1)

THE SHORT STORY: In a back-and-forth match that saw each side awarded a penalty kick, VCU Men’s Soccer dropped its first Atlantic 10 match of the season in a 1-0 defeat to Davidson at Sports Backers Stadium.

“We did so much to control the game tonight after giving away a terrible penalty early,” said Head Coach Dave Giffard. “All credit to Davidson for an excellent performance and effort tonight, but in games like this we have to take some of the really high percentage chances we created and we have to keep the zero.

“It’s where we are right now in the final third and we need a week of training in the worst way. Unfortunately this is part of the college game where things get really congested and it’s game to game recovery and we are still in the mode of needing to train guys and grow. We’ll learn from this though and bounce back as a group.”

PITCH SIDE

• VCU out shot the Wildcats 19-10
• The Rams forced three saves by Davidson
• Papa Toure (six) and Gerardo Castillo (three) led the Rams in shots
• John Ermini recorded three saves for the Rams
• The Rams took 11 corner kicks while only allowing three

HOW IT HAPPENED

• VCU got off to an aggressive start, with Castillo forcing a save in the fourth minute
• Davidson got on the board with a penalty kick goal in the 17th minute
• The Rams looked to answer over the final minutes of the half, getting a shot on goal from Toure in the 31st minute
• Leonel Vergara got a great look at a goal in the 64th minute that missed just to the left
• Andrey Salmeron got another great shot, taking a header that was a little too high in the 69th minute
• Toure got a great shot off in the 78th minute that was saved by the Davidson goalkeeper
• A foul drawn in the box by Salmeron in the 88th minute awarded VCU a penalty kick
• Unfortunately for the Rams, Toure missed wide right as the score stayed at 1-0, with the whistle coming shortly after.

UP NEXT: The Rams host an out-of-conference match against Campbell on Oct. 10 at Sports Backers Stadium, before hitting the road for three matches starting at Rhode Island on Oct. 14.