Gators fall to Bluefield
Team plays well for stretches, but can't overcome NAIA opponent.
The VPCC men's soccer team, fielding a depleted roster, showed stretches of strong play against NAIA opponent Bluefield University on Friday, Aug. 30, but lost 6-1.
"If we don't have three of our top four players here, it's going to be a challenge. And that's what it was today," said coach Kevin Darcy. "We knew it was going to be tough from the start."
After giving up two goals in the first 15 minutes, VPCC kept Bluefield scoreless the final 30 minutes of the half. The strong defense continued into the second half until the Rams scored off a turnover after 15 minutes.
Darcy changed his lineup in the second half, going with three in the back and two forwards. It worked.
"We pressured them for a good 15 or 20 (minutes). Then they scored off (a turnover)," Darcy said. "We have to be able to manage risk and not turn balls over in our own end."
The Gators got on the board when Cody Cole scored with 5:11 left. Bluefield answered with two goals in the final five minutes.
"We hung in there," Darcy said. "I hated to give away two late goals … 4-1 would have looked much more respectable than 6-1. And it didn't need to be 6-1."
He singled out midfielder Hayden Bright and defender Yoseph Asenga for their play.
"I thought Hayden Bright played excellent. In the back. Yoseph Asenga was excellent all night. He was real solid," Darcy said.
No one else stepped up, which Darcy said were missed chances for those who saw more time because of the missing players.
"I told them after the game, these opportunities when you play a team and you're missing players, are your chance to show you can step up and lead and do things that get you more minutes," Darcy said. "But (the Rams) were good."