Arch Scurlock/Sports Columnist

The NOVA men’s soccer team won its second match of the young season on the afternoon of Sept. 27 at Woodbridge’s Howison Homestead Park. After falling behind early, they managed to edge the Stevenson University JV Mustang team 2-1. The outcome was a welcome change from NOVA’s previous two matches against Maryland community college teams from Howard and Anne Arundel counties, both of which had seen NOVA lose, 2-1. Amadu Jailoh from Sierra Leone led NOVA in scoring against Stevenson, making both assisted goals.

In the first half, Stevenson led the early action. NOVA goalie Erin Terkes made a good save at about the 17-minute mark, deflecting barely a hard straight-on shot over the goal. However, Stevenson came back quickly at the 19-minute mark with a clear, close goal in the upper right of the net, a shot the NOVA goalie had no chance on.

The 0-1 deficit seemed to awaken the NOVA team, which dominated much of the latter part of the first half. At about 25 minutes Oscar Jose Diaz Solis’s shot to the upper right of the net required a fine save by the Stevenson goalie. Jailoh’s shot at the 29-minute mark further up to the right of the net again required a fine Stevenson save, keeping the score at 0-1.

Finally, at the 38-minute mark, a pass found Jailoh open and he dribbled an easy shot into the right of the net from about 13 yards out to tie the score 1-1. Soon after, at the 42-minute mark, Alejandro Gomez made a fine pass to Jailoh, who netted an easy shot from about 10 yards out to give NOVA the lead 2-1, which became the halftime score.

In the second half, play was fairly even, but the NOVA defense played well and allowed few real Stevenson scoring opportunities. NOVA was able to break a man free with the ball several times to the Stevenson goal, but rarely had a player in position to take a goal-scoring shot. NOVA’s Dan Murray did have a goal chance at the 65-minute mark with an open header near the goal, but the shot went awry.

NOVA’s goalie for the second half, Phillip Fisher, was rarely challenged with on-goal shots. However, Stevenson, apparently sensing some urgency, made two strong shots at about the 87-minute mark. The first shot grounded off to left of the net, and the second shot zoomed over the top and side of the net. NOVA was then able to close out the match after the scoreless second half, taking the 2-1 triumph.

With the win, combined with its season-opening 5-0 victory over Frederick Community College on Aug. 29, NOVA went to 2-2 for the year. Its next game was Sept. 30 at Prince George’s Community College. October was to include the final five regularly scheduled games for the season.

NOVA’s head coach Brian Robertson noted happily after the match, “We played a JV team from a Division 3 NCAA university while we are a junior college. To give a good matchup to this team is outstanding for our guys. They’re a very good team.” In the second half, “We had some opportunities on goal, but couldn’t convert. We’re learning the process to play competitive soccer and next year we’ll be able to play competitively against good NCAA teams (when NOVA enters NJCAA competition.) We’re proud of our guys. They did a good job.”

By: Arch Scurlock

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