DAYTON (OH) -- Five minutes gone, Dayton gagged on a golden opportunity to take the lead and Flyer fans had that "here we go again" feeling. Not so fast. The Flyers found the net later in the half and added two more goals after intermission for a hard-fought 3-0 over the
George Washington Colonials. GW, previously unbeaten in the A10, falls to 4-5-2 (2-1). UD notches just their second win of the season and improves to 2-11 (1-2).
On a chilly, blustery evening filled with drizzle and most of the student body inside the Frericks Center supporting the women's volleyball team, Head Coach Dennis Currier's squad had a lot of things going against it as the matched kicked off -- no more so than the 11 losses against just one victory in the 2011 season. Adding to the misery were four straight shutout losses and just five goals in the field of play all year. While the Colonials weren't the UNC Tar Heels, any foe of late seemed good enough to stop the Flyers in their tracks.
No so in the early minutes Friday evening as Dayton got off to a great start and pushed players forward into the offensive half of the field. Unlike past matches, long balls played to awaiting forwards were well-weighted and well-placed, allowing UD to run onto possession and challenge inside the box. Just six minutes in, a quality long ball caught GW's back line flat-footed and UD got behind the last defender inside the box. Pulled down in an obvious attempt to play the man instead of the ball, the Flyers earned the PK with a rare chance to take a lead in a match this year.
Unfortunately, Evan McCreary's PK was stopped at the lower right post, keeping the match scoreless and placing doubt about UD's chances to win under any favorable circumstances.
To UD's credit, they bounced back quickly and that attitude resonated throughout the match. Dayton capitalized in the ninth minute after Auston Smyth finished a corner kick in front of the box. As the ball swung into the box and toward the goal line, a large scrum developed and the Flyers basically performed rugby duty by moving the pile into the net. The ball went along for the ride and almost perplexing to both teams, Dayton found themselves up 1-0.
Over the last 30 minutes of the first half, the match got more physical as players from both teams battled hard for loose balls. The tackling was perhaps the most aggressive all season and UD parlayed that high work rate into important possession throughout the midfield.
Both sides had more chances in the box to find the back of the net, but a light drizzle and strong winds disrupted the flow a bit through no fault of either team. Fortunately for the Flyers, they had the wind at their backs in the first half and made the most of it. Long runs down the touch lines were rewarded with playable balls, while more grinding within the middle third of the field resulted in pick-offs and offensive counters that kept GW from pushing forward with sustained regularity.
The Colonials had their best soccer of the first half during a 10 minute stretch near intermission when they sent long balls forward from the feet of their back line. UD's defense was well organized however and of the balls they did not clear away, GW pushed shots just wide or high of the posts and crossbar.
Halftime stats favored GW 8-6 on shots and 5-1 on corners, but Dayton had just as many -- if not more -- quality shots on goal that forced GW into four saves compared to one against.
The second half work rate continued for Dayton and that was good news all around. The tackling within the 18yd lines remained at a high level with players selling out on many occasions to disrupt GW's run of play or steal the ball altogether.
All of the hard work and hustle kept UD as the equal or better side for long stretches. Nothing came easy, but players made far better runs into open spaces than at any time in the past month. Combined with a more assertive effort to find the weak side of the field, Dayton had more space to work with when looking to get their offense going. Not that questionable long balls didn't materialize at times, but the initiative was clearly there to find a different way.
Dayton slipped a ball into the left side of the GW penalty box that resulted in a hand ball by a GW defender, earning UD its second PK of the match. This time the Flyers cashed in as Abe Keller found the net for a 2-0 lead in the 58th minute.
In unfamiliar territory, the Flyers were now called upon to protect a two-goal lead and hold on for their first victory in over a month. UD wasn't done however as Amoh Kwaku cleaned up a ball in the mixer from 5yds out to give Dayton an insurmountable 3-0 lead in the 68th minute. From there, the Colonials saw the writing on the wall and took their foot off the gas. The last 20 minutes remained extremely physical but outside of one or two chances in front of the box, Dayton's back line never looked out of shape.
Final match stats remained in GW's favor with a 17-12 advantage in shots and 10-4 domination in corner kicks. Shots on goal -- the most significant stat -- favored Dayton however as the home team doubled up the opposition 10-5.
The Flyers made the most of their offensive chances Friday evening and when they moved the ball forward, generated meaningful soccer for the first time in several weeks. While the offense in prior matches showed no purpose, there was an effort to work as a collective unit Friday evening. Most importantly however, Dayton sold out on all of the 50/50 balls and dominated in the air. Loose balls favored UD every time it meant something and that alone gave the Flyers enough possession, time, and breathing room to create something tangible on the offensive side of the ball. No one player stood out more than the others but everyone had a hand in the outcome -- which is something that's been lacking in recent matches.
Judging blindly based on overall play and not the records of either team, Dayton was the better side from start to finish.
The Flyers entertain the
Richmond Spiders on Sunday afternoon with a chance to earn back-to-back wins for the first time this year.
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