VCU Women’s Soccer was in search of 3 points Thursday evening to stay afloat in the Atlantic 10 standings. Saint Joseph’s flew into Sports Backers for battle against the Rams where Alyssa Tallent’s boot made the difference.

Rambunctious Offense

Offensively the Rams held the striking advantage early; Lydnsey Gutzmer and Maddi Santo took VCU’s first two attempts on goal. Santo was working hard early in the 1st half with multiple scoring opportunities that had SJU’s defense on edge.

While Santo was taking strikes, Julia Suarez was causing the Hawks headaches with her footwork and passing. VCU’s forwards and midfielders worked well in the opening 45 minutes with 7 shots.

Evenly Matched

Saint Joseph’s opportunity came late in the 1st half to make something happen offensively.  The Hawks tested Audrey Sanderson in goal around the 33′ minute with a strike that stretched the VCU goalkeeper out for the save.

Both teams traded momentum well into the 2nd half. VCU had a chance off a corner kick in the 66′ minute but there was a foul whistled on the Rams inside the box.

Tallent Breaks Through

In the 77′ minute, the Rams finally struck the back of Saint Joe’s net. Suarez passed it to Gutzmer as she sprinted down the right side towards the SJU box. Gutzmer hit a low cross into the box towards the post where Tallent finished the job for her third goal of the season.

The Hawks made an effort towards finding an equalizer but time was not on Saint Joe’s side. After 90 minutes of play, VCU emerged victorious 1-0 and took all 3 points at Sports Backers. With this victory, VCU improves to 2-1-2 in Atlantic 10 play and has 8 points.

Next up for VCU Women’s Soccer is a trip to Fairfax to take on George Mason on Sunday, October 8th. The match will begin at 1 PM.

Mark Turner

Mark graduated from VCU in 2014 with a major in Criminal Justice and a minor in Psychology. He started as a fan of the Black & Gold in the stands his freshman year. Mark was known as "Kazie" for his charismatic fandom with the VCU's student organization the Rowdy Rams. While at VCU he gained experience in sports media with WVCW on a sports radio show called Rowdy Radio. Following graduation, Mark continued crafting his social media skills with the Richmond Kickers while also handling VCU coverage. He is a true fan of the Rams and vocally passionate on and off camera. After the final whistle, you can probably find him at local RVA bar or brewery enjoying a drink and conversation.