Box Score Last year the Royals started out the year with a 3-0 loss at Shenandoah, which spiraled into the worst season in Coach Roger Mast's 20-year tenure. The Eastern Mennonite men hosted the Hornets this year and shoved the proverbial monkey off their backs with an impressive 2-0 win.
From the opening minutes it was obvious the Royals were communicating well and playing aggressively. Midway through the frame, the men had a potential Mark Mast (Harrisonburg, VA/Eastern Mennonite) goal negated when Barkot Akalu (Addis Abeba, Ethiopia/Lycee Guebre Mariam) was called offsides.
In the 33rd minute, Brent Yoder (Sarasota, FL/Sarasota Christian) flipped a shot over a scramble of players, getting the ball past the Hornet's keeper. But a Shenandoah defender headed the shot away, keeping the game scoreless.
Although the men had a 5-0 advantage in corner kicks in the first 45 minutes, they hadn't scored.
EMU kept pushing right away in the second. Mitchell Leap (Harrisonburg, VA/Eastern Mennonite) just missed when he tried to bicycle in a deflected cross.
A minute later the men had another goal called off because of an offsides whistle, when Leap got loose in front of the goal on what would have been a highlight reel play.
The Royals finally broke through in the 64th minute, when Leap got tripped in the box. The senior calmly punched the PK into the upper right of the goal, giving EMU the 1-0 lead.
In another four minutes, two freshmen doubled the lead. After a pair of saved shots, Mast fired a cross which Adam Moyer (Harleysville, PA/Christopher Dock) headed in making it 2-0.
The Hornets had their best chance to score with three and half to go, but they sent a penalty kick off the cross bar.
EMU's depth really showed in as the game wore on, as the men outshot Shenandoah 16-9 overall and 11-5 in the second half. They also had a 9-1 edge in corners.
Patrick Fox (Virginia Beach, VA/Kempsville) made four saves in goal and collected the shutout.
After opening the season with the win, the Royals travel to Salisbury, MD, this weekend for a two-day classic. They play St. Mary's Saturday at 4:00pm and then host Salisbury Sunday at 3:00pm.
