MEN'S SOCCER SHUTS OUT DREXEL 2-0

Saturday, October 30

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7:00 p.m.

James Madison University

9-5-2, 4-4-1CAA

Drexel

7-8-1, 3-7-0CAA

Drexel

James Madison

10/31/2010 1:24:00 AM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va., Oct. 30, 2010 - James Madison scored once in each half en route to a 2-0 win over Drexel in Colonial Athletic Association men's soccer Saturday night at the JMU Soccer Complex.

The Dukes upped their overall record to 9-5-2 and their CAA record to 4-4-1. Drexel dropped to 7-9-1 overall and 3-7-0 in league play with its fourth straight loss.

Senior CJ Sapong (Manassas, Va./Forest Park) got the Dukes' first goal in the 37th minute, when he scored his league-leading 12th goal of the season. The play began when redshirt sophomore Christian McLaughlin (Herndon, Va./Herndon) took a free kick several yards away from the left corner flag and lofted the ball into the box. Junior Jason Gannon (Vienna, Va./Flint Hill) took a hard shot from close range that was blocked by a Drexel defender, but Sapong was there to put the rebound in.

Sophomore Paul Wyatt (Modbury, England/Ivybridge) netted the Dukes' second goal. Senior Torey Beiro (McLean, Va./McLean) sent a pass to Wyatt behind the midfield line. Wyatt dribbled toward the right touchline then cut diagonally across the field until he was several yards from the left corner of the goal. He beat sophomore goalkeeper Tim Washam (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) with a low shot from about six yards from the goal.

JMU almost got a third goal, when a hard shot from outside the box on the right side by freshman Steven Mashinski (Fairfax, Va./Chantilly) was saved by Washam near the far post.

Drexel had two good scoring chances in the first half, both coming in the 26th minute from well outside the box, and both were stopped by senior goalkeeper Ken Manahan (Fredericksburg, Va./Chancellor). The first shot was taken from the left side by freshman Phillip Hagerty (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville), and the second by senior Nate Baker (Andover, Mass./Andover) on the right side.

The Dragons' best opportunity of the second half came in the 82nd minute, when junior Andrew Goldberg (Southampton, Pa./William Tennent) delivered a pass in the box to freshman Manuel Cazares (Panama City, Calif./Pearl Magnet). His shot from seven yards out was just wide left of the goal.

JMU out-shot Drexel 25-15. Manahan finished with six saves for his sixth shutout of the year. Drexel's Washam made five stops.

"In the conference you have very few games where you get style points, you have to grind them out," said JMU Head Coach Tom Martin.

"(In the first half) we lacked intensity, and that was our whole theme at halftime. We (also) wanted to pressure them two ways -- by not giving them a lot of time and space, and by running at them. We felt like if we got a speed match-up with two or three people we could really run at them and it would translate into good things. We didn't expect Paul (Wyatt) to make about a 70-yard run with the ball, but his speed exposed their lack of it.

"Kenny (Manahan) made some big saves when he had to. Drexel's a good team; they (just) didn't score and we did."

NOTES:
* CJ Sapong increased his career totals to 37 goals and 94 points. He moved from sixth to fifth on JMU's all-time points list, passing Kurt Morsink (93 points, 2003-06). He remains in seventh place on the Dukes' career goals list but is just one goal away from fifth place. Fifth place is currently shared by Ricky Engelfried (1987-90) and Mike Brizendine (1995-98).
* Sapong's season total of 12 goals is tied for the fourth-highest total in school history. The school record is 15, two players have scored 14, three have scored 13 a