EMORY, Va. – The Virginia Wesleyan College Men's Soccer Team (10-4-2, 7-2-1 ODAC) picked up a 3-0 Old Dominion Athletic Conference win over Emory & Henry College (3-11-1, 1-9 ODAC) Saturday afternoon at Fred Selfe Stadium. Prior to the match, the Wasps honored Jared Eiriksson (Blackstone, Va.) and Kenny Sterne (Lynchburg, Va.) with Senior Day festivities. It was also Homecoming Weekend on the E&H campus.
The two teams battled back and for the early in the match with neither team gaining an advantage for the first 15 minutes of play. The Marlins began to exert control as the first half hour came to a close.
After earning a corner kick in the 28th minute, VWC got on the board. The Marlins took the corner short, finding Brandon St. Amour at the top left corner of the box. St. Amour swung the ball in finding the head of Stephen Sawicki, who placed it in the net.
The margin would remain 1-0 through the end of the first half.
Emory & Henry had a chance to tie the contest at a goal apiece 8:45 into the second half. Eiriksson hit a strong strike from 25 yards out that forced the Marlins' goalkeeper to make an impressive save to push it over the crossbar.
VWC added to its lead at the 56:25 mark when Isaac Arrington beat the defender on the left hand side of the field and took a low shot to the near post and beat the E&H goalkeeper.
Sterne threatened for Emory & Henry in the 63rd minute with a long curling shot from the right side, but Virginia Wesleyan goalkeeper kept the shutout alive.
With 6:06 remaining in the game, Virginia Wesleyan's Nick Dudek cleaned up a loose ball inside the six-yard box to make the final margin 3-0.
The Marlins held a 12-6 advantage on shots but were called offside five times to the Wasps' two infractions. VWC also won the battle for corner kicks, 6-2.
Connor Kirkham made five saves for Virginia Wesleyan to earn the shutout while E&H sophomore Didier Grillet (Matthews, N.C.) stopped two shots despite the loss.
Emory & Henry will conclude the 2014 season on Wednesday evening at 7:30 p.m., when it hosts Washington and Lee University in ODAC play. The contest will be the nightcap of a doubleheader with the women's team.
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-photo courtesy of Caleb Johnston, E&H '15