MAAS, DEFENSE LEAD RAMS TO 1-0 VICTORY OVER DELAWARE
9-29-06
Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. – A stifling defensive effort and junior Brittani Maas’ (McLean, Va./McLean) first collegiate goal led the Rams to a 1-0 defeat of the University of Delaware on Friday evening in CAA women’s soccer action.

The win improves VCU’s record to 7-2-2 on the season including a unblemished 3-0-0 in the CAA. The Blue Hens fall to 6-3-2 in 2006 with a 1-2-0 within the conference. The victory also extends the Rams unbeaten streak in CAA regular season play to 16, as well extending their current unbeaten streak to six games.

The Black and Gold dominated play in the first half  as they had several scoring opportunities in the first ten minutes as sophomore Megan Flanagan (Franktown, Colo./Ponderosa) took a beautiful feed from fellow classmate Stephanie Power (Dartmouth, Nova Scotia/Dartmouth), in the seventh minute, and got past a Blue Hen defender and powered one to the left of Delaware’s keeper but the shot just hit the post.

Maas got her first scoring chance in the 21st minute as she used a burst of speed to get past a Blue Hen defender and took a pass from Pernilla Jansson (Stockholm, Sweden/Danderyds Gym) on the left side, but the junior got too much behind the shot and it went high of the net.

Power and Laure Dupont (Plessis Robinson, France/Louis Bascan) used crisp passing to feed Mass who connected on her first collegiate goal from 25 yards out and nailed the upper right corner of the net in the 27th minute of action to give the Rams a 1-0 advantage.

The stifling defense of the Rams held Delaware to just three shots in the first half as the Black and Gold controlled the tempo and got off 12 shots in the first half.

The 1-0 advantage held strong for the remainder of regulation as VCU’s defense held Delaware to just one shot in the second half and turned away numerous Blue Hen chances.

Junior goalkeeper Lauren Hardison (Midlothian, Va./Clover Hill) was solid once again in net as she recorded two saves in the contest and picked up her fifth shutout of the season and has allowed just three goals in her last eight contests.

The Rams return home on Sunday, October 1st as they take on the Drexel Dragons in a 2 p.m. contest at VCU’s Sports Backers Stadium.