2011 VCU Rams men's soccer team

VCU Rams
2011 season
Athletic Director United States Norwood Teague
Head Coach United States Dave Giffard
CAA Regular Season T–6th
CAA Tournament Did not qualify
College Cup Did not qualify
VCU Tournament Champions
Coastal Carolina Tournament Runners-up
UAB Tournament 3rd
Highest home attendance 987 vs. W&M
Lowest home attendance 397 vs. JMU
Average home league attendance 682
Home colors
Away colors
← 2010 2012 →

The 2011 VCU Rams men's soccer team represented Virginia Commonwealth University during the 2011 NCAA Division I men's soccer season. For the Rams, it was the 32nd season fielding a varsity soccer program, and their 17th in the Colonial Athletic Association.

The team was led by second year head coach, Dave Giffard, a former assistant for the Akron Zips. Giffard, in his first season, managed the team to second place in the Colonial Athletic Association during the regular season, before losing in the semifinals of the CAA. Despite a better conference and overall record in conference and overall play, the Rams finished in a joint-tie for sixth place in the CAA with Georgia State. The Rams, though, missed the CAA Tournament for the third time in four seasons due to losing the first tiebreaker, which was head-to-head record.[1] Consequently, the Rams were the only men's soccer team in the nation with both a winning conference and overall record to not qualify for their conference tournament.

On August 26, the Rams opened up their regular season with a 4–1 home victory against Navy, and they will conclude the regular season on November 4 at Delaware.

Review

July

Managed by newly appointed head coach, Dave Giffard, the Rams were able to qualify for the Colonial Athletic Association tournament for the first time since 2007. Additionally, the Rams finished with a CAA record of 5-2-4, strong enough to finish second in the regular season standings. It is Giffard's second season coaching the team as they try to build upon a runner-up title in the CAA regular season.

On July 6, the university announced the men's soccer schedule for 2011, which included the season opener against Navy on August 26.[2] The team was to play every other college in its conference once, varying either at home or away, tallying for 11 matches. Including tournaments, the Rams were to play a total of eight non-conference games, two of which during the regular season.

August

On August 15, the CAA coaches poll predicted VCU to finish second in the regular season, behind ODU and ahead of William & Mary.

The Rams began their 2011 campaign at home against the Navy Midshipmen, defeating them 4–1 in the process. While there was speculation that the match may be postponed due to severe weather from Hurricane Irene, the match was still scheduled on time. Yoyo Mwila scored two goals for the Rams coming late in the match.[3] Three days later, the Rams continued their winning streak with an extra time, golden goal victory over Georgetown, winning 1–0. Assisted by Yoyo Mwila, Juan Arbelaez scored the match-winning goal.[4]

September

In the team's first match of September, the Rams played their crosstown rivals, the Richmond Spiders. The match, in part of the annual VCU Soccer Tournament was played at Sports Backers Stadium on September 2. In the first half, the Rams dominated possession, outshooting the Spiders 8–1 in the first half. However, the Spiders took the lead thanks to a brace from Spencer Schiff in the 47th minute of play. In the 61st minute of play Rams strikers, Juan Arbelaez hit a shot that the Spiders' goalkeeper, Thomas Hand, could not hold on to leading to VCU midfielder, Juan Monge Solano, drawing the match at 1–1. Six minutes later, Garrett Harvey would convert a corner kick from Nick Rich to give the Rams the game-winning goal, and an undefeated 3–0–0 record.[5]

Two days later, the Rams closed out the tournament winning 4–0 over Elon.

Following the team's 4–0–0 start, in the NSCAA Coaches Poll, the Rams were ranked sixteenth in the nation, being one of only two Colonial Athletic Association teams to be nationally ranked. It was the first time since 2004 the Rams were ranked inside the Top 20 by the NSCAA.[6] Additionally, Soccer America Magazine ranked VCU twenty-second in the nation.[7]

On September 9, VCU defeat USC Upstate 4–0 to begin the Costal Carolina Tournament. The win improved their record to 5–0–0, their best start since 2003.[8]

After winning their first five matches, the team would lose their next four matches consecutively, the first two being extra time loses. The Rams lost 2–1 in extra time to Coastal Carolina and University of Alabama, Birmingham on September 11 and 15, respectively. The loses dropped VCU in the NSCAA National Rankings from sixteenth to twentieth. After a September 18 loss to Gardner-Webb, the Rams fell out of the rankings.

In their first conference game, on September 24, VCU lost 2–1 to Northeastern.

October

The first two matches of October were against two of the Rams' largest rivals, the George Mason Patriots and the Old Dominion Monarchs. On October 2, following a four match skid, the Rams ended the losing streak with a 1–0 win at home to the Patriots. The match-winning goal came in the 72nd minute from Yoyo Mwila. The win was also the Rams' first conference win of the season.[9]

"Give ODU a ton of credit, they are a very good at what they do, but I thought we played right into their hands tonight. We have a long way to go in our maturation process and we will need to learn from tonight's game to get ready for many more tough challenges in the next several weeks."

David Giffard following VCU's 4–0 loss at ODU.[10]

Four days later, on October 5, the Rams traveled to Norfolk to take on the Monarchs, who were at the time ranked 20th in the nation. The Monarchs posted a 4–0 at home to the Rams, making it the largest defeat the Rams suffered of the season.[10]

After the loss at ODU, the Rams traveled northbound to take on CAA minnows, Hofstra Pride for an October 8 fixture. The Rams posted a 3–0 victory, making it their largest road victory of the season since their match against Coastal Carolina. Despite the three goal advantage, head coach Giffard expressed dissatisfaction that it took till the 76th minute of play for the opening goal to be scored.[11]

Upon the two-match CAA road swing, the Rams played at home against James Madison Dukes, who were at the top of the CAA table prior to the match. The Dukes, having one of their strongest seasons in program history, had yet to lose a conference match. Goals from Jason Johnson and Yoyo Mwila resulted in an eventual 2–1 home victory. On October 15, the Rams faced the William & Mary Tribe, in front of a crowd of 987 spectators, the largest home crowd for the Rams of the season. Despite two shots that hit the post from VCU's Nick Rich, the Rams fell 1–0 to the Tribe.

On October 28, the Rams played at High Point University and lost 3–2. The match was on televised live on Fox Soccer Channel making it the first time in history the Rams were televised on national television.[12]

November

Needing a full three points against Georgia State, the Rams fell 1–0 to the Panthers with only 10 men. They then won 3–1 against Delaware to close out the season.

Competitions

Regular Season

CAA Standings

Conference Overall
GP W L T GF GA GD PTS GP W L T GF GA GD
#12 James Madison† 11 8 3 0 17 12 +5 24 17 12 4 1 27 20 +7
#18 Old Dominion 11 7 3 1 26 16 +10 22 16 11 4 1 42 22 +20
William & Mary 11 7 4 0 4 0 +4 21 18 10 8 0 4 8 –4
Delaware* 11 6 4 1 0 0 0 19 17 11 5 2 11 6 +5
Northeastern 11 6 4 1 0 0 0 19 18 10 6 2 7 4 +4
Georgia State 11 6 5 0 12 9 +3 18 Note 1 19 12 6 1 26 14 +12
VCU 11 6 5 0 15 14 +1 18 20 11 9 0 34 24 +10
Drexel 11 4 5 2 11 17 −6 14 18 5 10 3 14 24 −10
George Mason 11 4 6 1 17 14 +3 13 18 7 8 3 37 27 +10
Hofstra 11 4 7 0 18 23 −5 12 18 7 10 1 25 32 −7
UNC Wilmington 11 2 8 1 12 16 −4 7 18 4 12 2 20 29 −9
Towson 11 2 8 1 14 25 −11 7 17 3 11 2 20 41 –21
Championship:
† indicates conference regular season champion
* indicates conference tournament champion
^ Georgia State beat VCU in the first tiebreaker, which was head-to-head record.
Current rankings: CAASports.com

Results summary

OverallHomeAway
PldWDLGFGAGDPtsWDLGFGAGDWDLGFGAGD
10 7 0 3 19 8  +11 21 7 0 3 19 8  +11 0 0 0 0 0  0

Last updated: December 6, 2011.
Source: Game reports

Results by round

Round1234567891011121314151617181920
GroundHAHHANANAHAAHHAAAHHH
Result W W W W W L L L L W L W W L W L L W L W

Last updated: December 6, 2011.
Source: Game reports
Ground: A = Away; H = Home. Result: D = Draw; L = Loss; W = Win; P = Postponed.

Game reports

Team

Roster

As of July 20, 2011[13]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 United States GK Clark Hankins
2 United States DF Isaac Owusu
3 Costa Rica MF Juan Monge Solano
4 United States DF Peter Lee
5 Lebanon MF Joseph Haboush
6 United States MF Charlie Ahn
7 England FW Nick Rich
8 Iceland MF Ragnar Leosson
9 Zambia FW Yoram Mwila
10 Jamaica MF Romena Bowie
11 Jamaica FW Jason Johnson
12 United States FW Kharlton Belmar
13 Guatemala MF Jose Carlos Castillo
14 Norway FW Daniel Haehre
15 United States MF Chris Maimone
No. Position Player
17 United States DF Garrett Harvey
18 United States MF Nate Shiffman
19 Senegal DF Assane Keita
20 United States FW Leo Kowalski
21 United States GK Andrew Wells
22 United States DF Brad Seymour
23 Cyprus GK Josh Pantazelos
24 United States MF Devon Fisher
26 Mexico DF Mario Meraz
27 United States DF Will Donovan
28 India DF Chintan Sanjan
29 United States MF Shawn Gross
30 United States DF Oliver Flood
31 Canada GK Garrett Cyprus
32 United States MF Cameron Foster

Statistics

No. Pos Nat Player TotalRegular Season Playoffs Preseason
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
1 GK United States Clark Hankins 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
2 DF United States Isaac Owusu 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
3 MF Costa Rica Juan Monge Solano 3 2 3+0 2 0+0 0 0+0 0
4 DF United States Peter Lee 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
5 MF Lebanon Joseph Haboush 2 0 2+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
6 MF United States Charlie Ahn 2 0 1+1 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
7 FW England Nick Rich 2 0 2+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
8 MF Iceland Ragnar Leosson 1 0 0+1 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
9 FW Zambia Yoram Mwila 2 2 2+0 2 0+0 0 0+0 0
10 MF Jamaica Romena Bowie 2 0 2+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
11 FW Jamaica Jason Johnson 2 1 2+0 1 0+0 0 0+0 0
12 FW United States Kharlton Belmar 1 0 0+1 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
13 MF Guatemala José Carlos Castillo 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
14 FW Norway Daniel Haehre 2 0 0+2 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
15 MF United States Chris Maimone 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
15 MF Colombia Juan Arbelaez 1 1 0+1 1 0+0 0 0+0 0
17 DF United States Garrett Harvey 3 1 3+0 1 0+0 0 0+0 0
18 MF United States Nate Shiffman 2 0 2+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
19 DF Senegal Assane Keita 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
20 FW United States Leo Kowalski 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
21 GK United States Andrew Wells 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
22 DF United States Brad Seymour 2 0 2+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
23 GK Cyprus Josh Pantazelos 2 0 2+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
24 MF United States Devon Fisher 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
25 DF United States Jack Bates 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
26 DF Mexico Mario Meraz 2 0 1+1 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
28 DF India Chirag Shah 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
29 MF United States Shawn Gross 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
30 DF United States Oliver Flood 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
31 GK Canada Garrett Cyprus 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
32 MF United States Cameron Foster 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0

Transfers and recruits

In

No. Pos. Player High School Fee/Notes Date Source
2 FW United States Isaac Owusu Potomac Falls High School Freshmen recruit May 13, 2011 [14]
6 MF United States Charlie Ahn Oakton High School Freshmen recruit May 13, 2011 [14]

Out

Date Player Destination Club Fee Ref
June 30, 2011 United States Jack Van Arsdale Kentucky Kentucky Wildcats Transferred schools

Awards

CAA Rookie of the Week

Date Player Opponent Statline Ref.
October 31, 2011 Norway Daniel Haehre Towson 2G [15]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Stern, Adam (November 2, 2011). "Dreams dashed: Men's soccer's postseason aspirations ended in loss to Georgia State". The Commonwealth Times. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  2. ↑ "MEN'S SOCCER RELEASES 2011 SCHEDULE". VCU Athletics. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Rams score four in season opening victory over Navy". Virginia Commonwealth University. VCUAthletics.com. August 26, 2011. Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Arbelaez nets game-winner in 1-0 overtime victory against Georgetown". Virginia Commonwealth University. VCUAthletics.com. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  5. ↑ "Boxscore: Richmond 1-2 Va. Commonwealth". Presto Sports. VCUAthletics.com. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
  6. ↑ Stern, Adam (September 8, 2011). "Mwila's mission: junior striker's journey proving fruitful for VCU". The Commonwealth Times. p. 7. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Soccer America Men's Top 25: Week 4". Soccer America. SoccerAmerica.com. September 5, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
  8. ↑ "VCU captures 4–0 victory over USC-Upstate at 2011 Coastal Carolina Tournament". Virginia Commonwealth University. VCUAthletics.com. September 9, 2011. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
  9. ↑ "RAMS NET 1-0 VICTORY ON VCU MASSEY CANCER CENTER PINK OUT NIGHT". VCUAthletics.com. October 1, 2011. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
  10. 1 2 "Rams drop CAA contest at Old Dominion on Wednesday". Virginia Commonwealth University Athletics. VCUAthletics.com. October 5, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
  11. ↑ "Rams score three goal in road victory at Hofstra". VCUAthletics.com. October 8, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
  12. ↑ Swing, Jim (October 27, 2011). "Nationally televised game presents opportunity, challenge for men's soccer". The Commonwealth Times. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
  13. ↑ "2011 VCU Men's Soccer Roster". Virginia Commonwealth University. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  14. 1 2 "2011 Men's Soccer Recruiting Class: Part 3 of 3". VCUAthletics.com. May 13, 2011. Retrieved October 31, 2011.
  15. ↑ "Haehre named CAA men's soccer Rookie of the Week". VCUAthletics.com. October 31, 2011. Retrieved November 5, 2011.
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