The UD women’s soccer team extended their winning streak to seven matches with a narrow 1-0 defeat of the VCU Rams on Sunday afternoon at Baujan Field. A first half goal did the work despite a determined Rams squad that largely outplayed the Flyers.  The win keeps UD in sole possession of first place in the A10 standings, holding a one-point lead over Saint Louis and in full control of their own destiny for a potential A10 regular season title.   The Flyers improve to 13-3-0 (7-1-0) while VCU falls to 3-8-4 (2-2-4).

Gorgeous skies and mild temperatures made for perfect conditions for late October as the Flyers and Rams got underway in a match that had high stakes riding on the result. Dayton had no wiggle room atop the A10 leaderboard while VCU continued to jockey for position among a pack of teams bunched together in the middle of the standings.  Those latter programs are not knocking on the door of a season title but still looking to earn eventual coveted A10 Tournament berths.

Dayton had their hands full from the opening kickoff as VCU’s signature posture of outstanding speed and athleticism caused UD problems in the early minutes.  The Rams dominated the run of play over the first 10 minutes as the Flyers were a step slow to most loose balls and lacked the foot speed to keep pace when chasing 1 vs 1.  The Rams did well to push into the Flyer defensive half of the field and put considerable pressure on the Dayton back line.  While no goals resulted, the Rams had both the momentum and better product on the field.

Struggling to push forward with possession, UD suffered turnovers and errant passes that kept their offense largely in check over the next 20 minutes. Both teams traded corner kicks but couldn’t cash in.  Maddie Bowman’s insertion as a substitute midway through the half provided a much-needed energy boost down the flanks. Her quickness provided some of Dayton’s best moments in a half where flashes of dangerous play were few and far between.

Despite being on their heels for most of the first half, the Flyers found a way to overcome the adversity with a terrific set piece goal in the 41st minute. Laney Smith redirected a header from a Kyra Karfonta service near the right corner flag that snuck past the VCU goalkeeper to put UD up 1-0 just before halftime.

First half stats favored UD in shots 6-3 while corner kicks were 2-2.  The run of play was not indicative of the stats however. To UD’s credit, their best soccer came in the last 10 minutes of the half when the match began to even out.

A one-goal lead didn’t feel like it would be enough to get the job done as the second half got underway. The Rams continued to fly all around the field and showcase superior quickness to pin the Flyers into extended periods of defensive bunkering. Dayton had trouble exiting the defensive third with possession, allowing VCU to recollect near midfield and reapply the clamps.  The Flyer back line did well to turn away dangerous VCU scoring opportunities, but the mids and forwards struggled mightily to help the cause by out-legging yellow Ram jerseys for loose balls to relieve the scrambling mess.

The last 30 minutes of the match required a lot of persevering for Head Coach Eric Golz’ team.  While Dayton did generate some additional scoring chances at times, the run of play was still 80/20 in favor of VCU.  The game became more physical but the referees let the teams muscle it out — only one foul was called in the entire second half despite both teams begging for several whistles at various moments.  UD may have also gotten away with a potential hand ball in the box.

The last 10 minutes were full of tension as Dayton withstood a VCU onslaught of attacking play both down the flanks and through the central alley.  Goalkeeper Batoul Reda — already with one monster save to her credit in the first half — was extremely busy and had to clean up numerous high-ball crosses and long balls targeting streaking Ram forwards.  She was on time and on point at every moment and together with her back line did enough to run out the clock before VCU finally found paydirt. Had overtime still been in the rule book, the match might have ended differently. This was a victory squarely on the shoulders of the defense.

The Rams edged UD in second half shots 6-4 while corner kicks were 5-5.

VCU and other fast and athletic teams are not great matchups for Dayton and Sunday afternoon was no different.  The Rams are better than their record and could be a problem in the A10 Tourney should they end up qualifying in the Top-8 of the standings. Sunday’s effort was not UD’s best both in form or energy level, but they nonetheless managed to earn the result they needed. With Saint Louis nipping at UD’s heels in the A10 standings, there’s no room for error. Still, the Flyers must be better moving forward. The Billikens have similar speed and quickness as VCU but infinitely more ball skills.

Dayton travels to Bronx, NY, for a match against the third place Fordham Rams on Thursday October 24th.  Kickoff is 7pm EDT. With the regular season winding down, UD’s task is simple: find a way to go 1-0-1 in the last two games to secure their first A10 season crown since 2016. It will be their two toughest opponents of the season — the second and third place teams in the league.

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