By Tim Baysinger
Drexel (7-2-2, 4-0)-The Dragons continued their winning ways with home wins over Towson and George Mason. Senior Mark Stevenson scored his first career goal against George Mason. The Dragons have won five straight and are off to their best start since joining the conference. They hit the road this week with games at Georgia State and UNC-Wilmington.
Old Dominion (7-4-1, 4-0)-The Monarchs kept pace with Drexel this week to remain tied atop the CAA standings, with home wins over VCA and James Madison. Junior Trevor Banks scored in overtime to defeat VCU and sophomore goalkeeper Evan Newton recorded his sixth shutout of the season against James Madison. The Monarchs travel to George Mason and Towson this week.
Towson (6-4-1, 3-1)-The Tigers rebounded from a tough loss to Drexel that knocked them out of a tie for first place with a win at Delaware. The loss to Drexel snapped the Tigers 14-game CAA winning streak. Junior Midfielder Matt Beckman posted two goals and two assists in the victory over Delaware. The Tigers return home this week to face William and Mary and Old Dominion.
William & Mary (6-5-2, 3-1)-After a tough loss in overtime to James Madison, the tribe squeaked out a 1-0 victory over VCU. Sophomore striker Price Thomas accounted for the only goal in the victory over VCU. The Tribe also converted on a pair of penalty kicks in the loss against James Madison. The Tribe head off to Towson and George Mason this week.
George Mason (5-5-1, 2-2)-The Patriots defeated Delaware, but fell to first place Drexel over the weekend. Junior forward Kwame Adjeman-Pamboe scored the game winning goal in double overtime in the win over Delaware. The Patriots were shut out by Drexel as they scored an early goal and let it stand for the rest of the game. The Patriots are home this week with contests against Old Dominion and William and Mary.
Northeastern (4-7, 2-2)-The Huskies improved to reach the .500 mark in the conference with home wins over UNC-Wilmington and Georgia State. Senior forward Greg Kilkenny scored a goal and notched his league-leading sixth assist in the win over UNC-Wilmington. Sophomore goalkeeper Mahmoud Talaat posted his second shutout of the season in the victory over Georgia State. The Huskies travel to VCU and James Madison this week.
VCU (5-4-2, 1-3)-The Rams went winless this past weekend, bringing their losing streak to three games. The Rams lost the contests against Old Dominion and William and Mary. Senior Steven Meusch scored the only goal against Old Dominion, a double overtime loss. The Rams were shutout by William and Mary. Northeastern and Hofstra lie ahead for the Rams this week, both games at home.
Georgia State (4-6-1, 1-3)-The Panthers failed to register a goal last week, losing games to both Northeastern and Hofstra by identical scores of 2-0. After winning their first conference game, the Panthers have lost back-to-back CAA contests. The Rams head home this week for games against Drexel and Delaware.
James Madison (2-7-3, 1-3)-The Dukes won a tough game at William and Mary in overtime, but fell to league-leading Old Dominion, getting shut out 2-0. Junior Nick Zimmerman scored the game winning goal against William and Mary three minutes into the overtime period. The Dukes play home this week against Hofstra and Northeastern.
Delaware (1-9-1, 1-3)-The Blue Hens went winless last week, losing games to both Towson and George Mason. The Blue Hens also failed to score a goal in both those games. The loss to George Mason came in double overtime, the only goal of the game. Towson dominated the Blue Hens 3-0, only allowing the Hens two shots at the goal. Road games at UNC-Wilmington and Georgia State loom ahead for the Blue Hens.
UNC Wilmington (1-9-1, 0-4)-The Seahawks lost both games this week to Hofstra and Northeastern by a combined score of 6-1. The Seahawks have yet to record a victory over a conference opponent, and only have one win on the year overall. The Seahawks have lost seven straight overall. This week they will face Delaware and Drexel at home.
Edel Malone and the women’s soccer team have taken the CAA by storm, putting them in position to make a run at James Madison and the conference crown. (Kyle Martel)