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VCU Rams
2011 season
Athletic DirectorUnited States Norwood Teague
Head CoachUnited States Dave Giffard
CAA Regular SeasonT–6th
CAA TournamentDid not qualify
College CupDid not qualify
VCU TournamentChampions
Coastal Carolina TournamentRunners-up
UAB Tournament3rd
Highest home attendance987 vs. W&M
Lowest home attendance397 vs. JMU
Average home league attendance682
← 2010
2012 →

The 2011 VCU Rams men's soccer team represented Virginia Commonwealth University during the 2011 NCAA Division I men's soccer season. For the Rams, it was the 32nd season fielding a varsity soccer program, and their 17th in the Colonial Athletic Association.

The team was led by second year head coach, Dave Giffard, a former assistant for the Akron Zips. Giffard, in his first season, managed the team to second place in the Colonial Athletic Association during the regular season, before losing in the semifinals of the CAA. Despite a better conference and overall record in conference and overall play, the Rams finished in a joint-tie for sixth place in the CAA with Georgia State. The Rams, though, missed the CAA Tournament for the third time in four seasons due to losing the first tiebreaker, which was head-to-head record.[1] Consequently, the Rams were the only men's soccer team in the nation with both a winning conference and overall record to not qualify for their conference tournament.

On August 26, the Rams opened up their regular season with a 4–1 home victory against Navy, and they will conclude the regular season on November 4 at Delaware.

Review

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July

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Managed by newly appointed head coach, Dave Giffard, the Rams were able to qualify for the Colonial Athletic Association tournament for the first time since 2007. Additionally, the Rams finished with a CAA record of 5-2-4, strong enough to finish second in the regular season standings. It is Giffard's second season coaching the team as they try to build upon a runner-up title in the CAA regular season.

On July 6, the university announced the men's soccer schedule for 2011, which included the season opener against Navy on August 26.[2] The team was to play every other college in its conference once, varying either at home or away, tallying for 11 matches. Including tournaments, the Rams were to play a total of eight non-conference games, two of which during the regular season.

August

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On August 15, the CAA coaches poll predicted VCU to finish second in the regular season, behind ODU and ahead of William & Mary.

The Rams began their 2011 campaign at home against the Navy Midshipmen, defeating them 4–1 in the process. While there was speculation that the match may be postponed due to severe weather from Hurricane Irene, the match was still scheduled on time. Yoyo Mwila scored two goals for the Rams coming late in the match.[3] Three days later, the Rams continued their winning streak with an extra time, golden goal victory over Georgetown, winning 1–0. Assisted by Yoyo Mwila, Juan Arbelaez scored the match-winning goal.[4]

September

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In the team's first match of September, the Rams played their crosstown rivals, the Richmond Spiders. The match, in part of the annual VCU Soccer Tournament was played at Sports Backers Stadium on September 2. In the first half, the Rams dominated possession, outshooting the Spiders 8–1 in the first half. However, the Spiders took the lead thanks to a brace from Spencer Schiff in the 47th minute of play. In the 61st minute of play Rams strikers, Juan Arbelaez hit a shot that the Spiders' goalkeeper, Thomas Hand, could not hold on to leading to VCU midfielder, Juan Monge Solano, drawing the match at 1–1. Six minutes later, Garrett Harvey would convert a corner kick from Nick Rich to give the Rams the game-winning goal, and an undefeated 3–0–0 record.[5]

Two days later, the Rams closed out the tournament winning 4–0 over Elon.

Following the team's 4–0–0 start, in the NSCAA Coaches Poll, the Rams were ranked sixteenth in the nation, being one of only two Colonial Athletic Association teams to be nationally ranked. It was the first time since 2004 the Rams were ranked inside the Top 20 by the NSCAA.[6] Additionally, Soccer America Magazine ranked VCU twenty-second in the nation.[7]

On September 9, VCU defeat USC Upstate 4–0 to begin the Coastal Carolina Tournament. The win improved their record to 5–0–0, their best start since 2003.[8]

After winning their first five matches, the team would lose their next four matches consecutively, the first two being extra time loses. The Rams lost 2–1 in extra time to Coastal Carolina and University of Alabama, Birmingham on September 11 and 15, respectively. The loses dropped VCU in the NSCAA National Rankings from sixteenth to twentieth. After a September 18 loss to Gardner-Webb, the Rams fell out of the rankings.

In their first conference game, on September 24, VCU lost 2–1 to Northeastern.

October

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The first two matches of October were against two of the Rams' largest rivals, the George Mason Patriots and the Old Dominion Monarchs. On October 2, following a four match skid, the Rams ended the losing streak with a 1–0 win at home to the Patriots. The match-winning goal came in the 72nd minute from Yoyo Mwila. The win was also the Rams' first conference win of the season.[9]

"Give ODU a ton of credit, they are a very good at what they do, but I thought we played right into their hands tonight. We have a long way to go in our maturation process and we will need to learn from tonight's game to get ready for many more tough challenges in the next several weeks."

David Giffard following VCU's 4–0 loss at ODU.[10]

Four days later, on October 5, the Rams traveled to Norfolk to take on the Monarchs, who were at the time ranked 20th in the nation. The Monarchs posted a 4–0 at home to the Rams, making it the largest defeat the Rams suffered of the season.[10]

After the loss at ODU, the Rams traveled northbound to take on CAA minnows, Hofstra Pride for an October 8 fixture. The Rams posted a 3–0 victory, making it their largest road victory of the season since their match against Coastal Carolina. Despite the three goal advantage, head coach Giffard expressed dissatisfaction that it took till the 76th minute of play for the opening goal to be scored.[11]

Upon the two-match CAA road swing, the Rams played at home against James Madison Dukes, who were at the top of the CAA table prior to the match. The Dukes, having one of their strongest seasons in program history, had yet to lose a conference match. Goals from Jason Johnson and Yoyo Mwila resulted in an eventual 2–1 home victory. On October 15, the Rams faced the William & Mary Tribe, in front of a crowd of 987 spectators, the largest home crowd for the Rams of the season. Despite two shots that hit the post from VCU's Nick Rich, the Rams fell 1–0 to the Tribe.

On October 28, the Rams played at High Point University and lost 3–2. The match was on televised live on Fox Soccer Channel making it the first time in history the Rams were televised on national television.[12]

November

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Needing a full three points against Georgia State, the Rams fell 1–0 to the Panthers with only 10 men. They then won 3–1 against Delaware to close out the season.

Competitions

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Regular Season

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CAA Standings

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Conference Overall
GP W L T GF GA GD PTS GP W L T GF GA GD
#12 James Madison 11 8 3 0 17 12 +5 24 17 12 4 1 27 20 +7
#18 Old Dominion 11 7 3 1 26 16 +10 22 16 11 4 1 42 22 +20
William & Mary 11 7 4 0 4 0 +4 21 18 10 8 0 4 8 –4
Delaware* 11 6 4 1 0 0 0 19 17 11 5 2 11 6 +5
Northeastern 11 6 4 1 0 0 0 19 18 10 6 2 7 4 +4
Georgia State 11 6 5 0 12 9 +3 18 Note 1 19 12 6 1 26 14 +12
VCU 11 6 5 0 15 14 +1 18 20 11 9 0 34 24 +10
Drexel 11 4 5 2 11 17 −6 14 18 5 10 3 14 24 −10
George Mason 11 4 6 1 17 14 +3 13 18 7 8 3 37 27 +10
Hofstra 11 4 7 0 18 23 −5 12 18 7 10 1 25 32 −7
UNC Wilmington 11 2 8 1 12 16 −4 7 18 4 12 2 20 29 −9
Towson 11 2 8 1 14 25 −11 7 17 3 11 2 20 41 –21
Championship:
indicates conference regular season champion
* indicates conference tournament champion
^ Georgia State beat VCU in the first tiebreaker, which was head-to-head record.
Current rankings: CAASports.com


Results summary

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Overall Home Away
Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts W D L GF GA GD W D L GF GA GD
10 7 0 3 19 8  +11 21 7 0 3 19 8  +11 0 0 0 0 0  0

Last updated: December 6, 2011.
Source: Game reports

Results by round

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Round1234567891011121314151617181920
GroundHAHHANANAHAAHHAAAHHH
ResultWWWWWLLLLWLWWLWLLWLW
Updated to match(es) played on December 6, 2011. Source: Game reports
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Game reports

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August 26, 2011 1 VCU 4 – 1 Navy Richmond, Virginia
20:00 EDT Solano 9'
Johnson 34'
Mwila Yellow card 24' 81', 84'
Report 23' Yellow card 84' Skord
Yellow card 71' Wilson
Stadium: Sports Backers Stadium
Attendance: 631
Referee: Steve Taylor
August 29, 2011 2 #24 Georgetown 0 – 1 (a.e.t.) VCU Washington, D.C.
16:00 EDT Report Yellow card 82' gold-colored soccer ball 92' Arbelaez Stadium: Hoyas Stadium
Attendance: 633
Referee: Ed Shea
September 2, 2011 3 VCU 2 – 1 Richmond Richmond, Virginia
19:30 EDT Solano 61'
Harvey Yellow card 55' 67'
Report Yellow card 23' Butler
Yellow card 41' Karr
47' Schiff
Yellow card 75' Johnston
Stadium: Sports Backers Stadium
Attendance: 1,000
Referee: Shaun Papperman
September 4, 2011 4 VCU 4 – 0 Elon Richmond, Virginia
14:30 EDT Rich 29'
Johnson 48'
Mwila 72' Yellow card 72'
Castillo 90'
Report Yellow card 83' Gardner Stadium: Sports Backers Stadium
Attendance: 617
Referee: Ben Jones
September 9, 2011 5 USC Upstate 0 – 4 #16 VCU Conway, South Carolina
17:00 EDT Perschke Yellow card 48'
Francis Yellow card 83'
Report 11', 48' Johnson
Yellow card 53' Solano
83' Haehre
89' Belmar
Stadium: Brooks Stadium
Attendance: 62
Referee: Dave Galfetti
September 11, 2011 6 Coastal Carolina 2 – 1 (a.e.t.) #16 VCU Conway, South Carolina
15:00 EDT Garbonzo 52'
Daniels gold-colored soccer ball 104'
Report 8' Harvey Stadium: Brooks Stadium
Attendance: 421
Referee: Joe Balazs
September 16, 2011 7 #18 UAB 2 – 1 (a.e.t.) #20 VCU Birmingham, Alabama
19:30 EDT Lemez 53' Yellow card 93'
Matte gold-colored soccer ball 96'
34' Solano Stadium: UAB West Campus Field
September 18, 2011 8 #20 VCU 0 – 1 Gardner-Webb Birmingham, Alabama
14:30 EDT Stadium: UAB West Campus Field
September 24, 2011 9 Northeastern 2 – 1 VCU Brookline, Massachusetts
16:00 EDT McDonald 7'
Lara Yellow card 49'
Kennedy 68'
Phataraprasit Yellow card 82'
Report
TV: CSN New England
13' Johnson Stadium: Parsons Field
Attendance: 245
Referee: Victor Matheson
Note: Conference match
October 1, 2011 10 VCU 1 – 0 George Mason Richmond, Virginia
19:00 EDT Mwila 73'
Shiffman Yellow card 83'
Report Yellow card 76' Mulgrew Stadium: Sports Backers Stadium
Attendance: 1,805
Referee: Mike Stutt
Note: Conference match
October 5, 2011 11 #20 Old Dominion 4 – 0 VCU Norfolk, Virginia
19:00 EDT Webb Yellow card 14'
Smith 18', 58'
Hopkinson 35'
Report Yellow card 35' Shiffman Stadium: Old Dominion Soccer Complex
Attendance: 707
Referee: Bill Ditmar
Note: Conference match
October 8, 2011 12 Hofstra 0 – 3 VCU Hempstead, New York
19:00 EDT Report 76' (o.g.) Kjartansson
86' Johnson
89' Mwila
Stadium: Shuart Stadium
Attendance: 509
Referee: Lee Suckle
Note: Conference match
October 12, 2011 13 VCU 2 – 1 #25 James Madison Richmond, Virginia
19:00 EDT Shiffman 64'
Johnson 77'
Report Yellow card 22' Wyatt
80' Innes
Yellow card 81' McLaughlin
Stadium: Sports Backers Stadium
Attendance: 397
Referee: Byungil Noh
Note: Conference match
October 15, 2011 14 VCU 0 – 1 #22 William & Mary Richmond, Virginia
19:00 EDT Report 17' Clampa
Yellow card 21' Kestler
Stadium: Sports Backers Stadium
Attendance: 987
Referee: Scott G. Johnson
Note: Conference match
October 19, 2011 15 UNC Wilmington 0 – 1 VCU Wilmington, North Carolina
19:00 EDT Report 64' (o.g.) Guderian
Yellow card 81' Solano
Stadium: UNCW Soccer Stadium
Attendance: 412
Referee: Ken George
Note: Conference match
October 22, 2011 16 Drexel 2 – 1 (a.e.t.) VCU Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
16:00 EDT Zeller Yellow card 92' Yellow-red card 101'
Bublil gold-colored soccer ball 109'
Report Yellow card 76' Solano
Yellow card 105' Ahn
Stadium: Vidas Athletics Complex
Attendance: 223
Note: Conference match
October 28, 2011 17 High Point 3 – 2 VCU High Point, North Carolina
19:00 EDT Sloan 21'
Cowdry Yellow card 67'
Malcolm Yellow card 74' 81'
Okimah 79' Yellow card 83'
TV: Fox Soccer Channel 31', 38' Johnson Stadium: Vert Stadium
October 30, 2011 18 VCU 3 – 2 (a.e.t.) Towson Richmond, Virginia
18:00 EDT Keita Yellow card 52'
Solano 74'
Mwila 85'
Haehre gold-colored soccer ball 104'
Report Hofer 6', 24'
Spivey Yellow card 54'
Steele Yellow card 56'
Rothman Yellow card 57'
Bermudez Roa Yellow card 77'
Stadium: Sports Backers Stadium
Attendance: 207
Referee: Mike Stutt
Note: Conference match
November 2, 2011 19 VCU 0 – 1 Georgia State Richmond, Virginia
19:00 EDT Shiffman Red card
Haboush Yellow card 61'
Report Scott 44' Stadium: Sports Backers Stadium
Attendance: 409
Referee: Ben Jones
Note: Conference match
November 5, 2011 20 VCU 3 – 1 #23 Delaware Richmond, Virginia
19:00 EDT Stadium: Sports Backers Stadium
Note: Conference match

Team

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Roster

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As of July 20, 2011[13]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK United States USA Clark Hankins
2 DF United States USA Isaac Owusu
3 MF Costa Rica CRC Juan Monge Solano
4 DF United States USA Peter Lee
5 MF Lebanon LBN Joseph Haboush
6 MF United States USA Charlie Ahn
7 FW England ENG Nick Rich
8 MF Iceland ISL Ragnar Leosson
9 FW Zambia ZAM Yoram Mwila
10 MF Jamaica JAM Romena Bowie
11 FW Jamaica JAM Jason Johnson
12 FW United States USA Kharlton Belmar
13 MF Guatemala GUA Jose Carlos Castillo
14 FW Norway NOR Daniel Haehre
15 MF United States USA Chris Maimone
No. Pos. Nation Player
17 DF United States USA Garrett Harvey
18 MF United States USA Nate Shiffman
19 DF Senegal SEN Assane Keita
20 FW United States USA Leo Kowalski
21 GK United States USA Andrew Wells
22 DF United States USA Brad Seymour
23 GK Cyprus CYP Josh Pantazelos
24 MF United States USA Devon Fisher
26 DF Mexico MEX Mario Meraz
27 DF United States USA Will Donovan
28 DF India IND Chintan Sanjan
29 MF United States USA Shawn Gross
30 DF United States USA Oliver Flood
31 GK Canada CAN Garrett Cyprus
32 MF United States USA Cameron Foster

Statistics

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No. Pos Nat Player Total Regular Season Playoffs Preseason
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
1 GK United States USA Clark Hankins 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
2 DF United States USA Isaac Owusu 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
3 MF Costa Rica CRC Juan Monge Solano 3 2 3+0 2 0+0 0 0+0 0
4 DF United States USA Peter Lee 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
5 MF Lebanon LBN Joseph Haboush 2 0 2+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
6 MF United States USA Charlie Ahn 2 0 1+1 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
7 FW England ENG Nick Rich 2 0 2+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
8 MF Iceland ISL Ragnar Leosson 1 0 0+1 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
9 FW Zambia ZAM Yoram Mwila 2 2 2+0 2 0+0 0 0+0 0
10 MF Jamaica JAM Romena Bowie 2 0 2+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
11 FW Jamaica JAM Jason Johnson 2 1 2+0 1 0+0 0 0+0 0
12 FW United States USA Kharlton Belmar 1 0 0+1 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
13 MF Guatemala GUA José Carlos Castillo 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
14 FW Norway NOR Daniel Haehre 2 0 0+2 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
15 MF United States USA Chris Maimone 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
15 MF Colombia COL Juan Arbelaez 1 1 0+1 1 0+0 0 0+0 0
17 DF United States USA Garrett Harvey 3 1 3+0 1 0+0 0 0+0 0
18 MF United States USA Nate Shiffman 2 0 2+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
19 DF Senegal SEN Assane Keita 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
20 FW United States USA Leo Kowalski 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
21 GK United States USA Andrew Wells 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
22 DF United States USA Brad Seymour 2 0 2+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
23 GK Cyprus CYP Josh Pantazelos 2 0 2+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
24 MF United States USA Devon Fisher 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
25 DF United States USA Jack Bates 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
26 DF Mexico MEX Mario Meraz 2 0 1+1 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
28 DF India IND Chirag Shah 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
29 MF United States USA Shawn Gross 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
30 DF United States USA Oliver Flood 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
31 GK Canada CAN Garrett Cyprus 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
32 MF United States USA Cameron Foster 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0

Transfers and recruits

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In

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No. Pos. Player High School Fee/Notes Date Source
2 FW United States Isaac Owusu Potomac Falls High School Freshmen recruit May 13, 2011 [14]
6 MF United States Charlie Ahn Oakton High School Freshmen recruit May 13, 2011 [14]

Out

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Date Player Destination Club Fee Ref
June 30, 2011 United States Jack Van Arsdale Kentucky Kentucky Wildcats Transferred schools

Awards

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CAA Rookie of the Week

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Date Player Opponent Statline Ref.
October 31, 2011 Norway Daniel Haehre Towson 2G [15]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Stern, Adam (November 2, 2011). "Dreams dashed: Men's soccer's postseason aspirations ended in loss to Georgia State". The Commonwealth Times. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  2. ^ "MEN'S SOCCER RELEASES 2011 SCHEDULE". VCU Athletics. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
  3. ^ "Rams score four in season opening victory over Navy". Virginia Commonwealth University. VCUAthletics.com. August 26, 2011. Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  4. ^ "Arbelaez nets game-winner in 1-0 overtime victory against Georgetown". Virginia Commonwealth University. VCUAthletics.com. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  5. ^ "Boxscore: Richmond 1-2 Va. Commonwealth". Presto Sports. VCUAthletics.com. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
  6. ^ Stern, Adam (September 8, 2011). "Mwila's mission: junior striker's journey proving fruitful for VCU". The Commonwealth Times. p. 7. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
  7. ^ "Soccer America Men's Top 25: Week 4". Soccer America. SoccerAmerica.com. September 5, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
  8. ^ "VCU captures 4–0 victory over USC-Upstate at 2011 Coastal Carolina Tournament". Virginia Commonwealth University. VCUAthletics.com. September 9, 2011. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
  9. ^ "RAMS NET 1-0 VICTORY ON VCU MASSEY CANCER CENTER PINK OUT NIGHT". VCUAthletics.com. October 1, 2011. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
  10. ^ a b "Rams drop CAA contest at Old Dominion on Wednesday". Virginia Commonwealth University Athletics. VCUAthletics.com. October 5, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
  11. ^ "Rams score three goal in road victory at Hofstra". VCUAthletics.com. October 8, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
  12. ^ Swing, Jim (October 27, 2011). "Nationally televised game presents opportunity, challenge for men's soccer". The Commonwealth Times. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
  13. ^ "2011 VCU Men's Soccer Roster". Virginia Commonwealth University. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  14. ^ a b "2011 Men's Soccer Recruiting Class: Part 3 of 3". VCUAthletics.com. May 13, 2011. Retrieved October 31, 2011.
  15. ^ "Haehre named CAA men's soccer Rookie of the Week". VCUAthletics.com. October 31, 2011. Retrieved November 5, 2011.