The two games the GW men1s soccer team played last weekend could not have been more different.
One day, GW suffered a drubbing at the hands of Dayton, the top team in the Atlantic 10.
Two days later, the Colonials earned a thrilling 2-1 overtime victory against the conference1s second-best team, Xavier.
The win over Xavier was a bright spot in an otherwise rough season for GW. Head coach George Lidster said the team1s less than successful season has been brought about by the inexperienced players who are an integral part of each game, although he did cite several solid performers.
3The players keep going forward, they1ve shown great resilience,? Lidster said. 3Senior Craig Jones has marshaled the defense all season.?
GW (3-12-2, 2-5-2 A-10) will face St. Joseph1s at 3 p.m. Friday and Temple at 2 p.m. Sunday at South Riding.
GW 2, Xavier 1
Senior Ben Ferry scored in the 12th minute of overtime against Xavier to give GW a 2-1 victory and its third win of the season.
Ferry took a ball from 25 yards out and beat four Xavier defenders and the goalie to score the game-winner.
The loss for Xavier was its third in the A-10 and may hurt the Musketeers1 chances of making the conference tournament.
Freshman Jason Holloway gave GW an early lead in the eighth minute. Jeff Greenspan started the play with a long pass to senior Ben Hatton, who crossed the ball to Holloway. The freshman headed the ball into the net for his fourth goal of the season.
Xavier tied the game late in the first half on a goal by Chas Cooke. Cooke touched the ball past GW goalie Michael Jelencovich before putting a shot in the net from point-blank range.
Jelencovich made six saves in the game, including two in the first minute of overtime.
Dayton 3, GW 0
If heart was the determining factor in GW1s game against Dayton Friday, the Colonials would have sailed to victory.
But this isn1t a Disney movie and the Colonials aren1t the Bad News Bears.
On a crisp sunny day at South Riding Field, GW fell to conference-leading Dayton 3-0.
The Colonials spent most of the 90 minutes on defense, rarely penetrating the Flyers1 stifling midfield.
Dayton (9-7, 7-1 A-10) was led by freshman midfielder Lee Crawford who tallied two goals and assisted on a third. Crawford entered the game as a substitute in the 28th minute and quickly initiated the first score. Crawford played a pass to Wade Fischer in the top right of the box that Fischer finished off with a 15-yard strike past GW goalkeeper Nick Parypinski for the goal in the 41st minute.
A minute later, Crawford collected a cross from Rick Roettker that he deposited for a goal from 17 yards out. In the 76th minute, the Flyers1 notched an insurance goal when Crawford stole a pass from a Colonial defender and turned it into a score.
GW had its best opportunity at the end of the first half when freshman forward Jason Holloway split several Dayton defenders and was fouled. On the quick restart, Holloway set up senior Ben Hatton who fooled everyone on the field by booting a laser that zipped inches wide of the left post.
Holloway also had several chances to score. His best opportunity was a header off a high punt that appeared to beat the Dayton goalkeeper. The goal was denied when the referee ruled that Holloway made contact with the goalie before making contact with the ball.
