June 16, 2012
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. – The PDL Virginia Beach Piranhas hosted the Fredericksburg Hotspur on Saturday night at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex with a kickoff time of 6:00 p.m. The first game at home so far this season sans rain, the Piranhas delivered an exciting 3-1 win in front of a large home crowd.
Both teams held strong until the 31st minute when Piranhas striker JerJer Gibson found the net with the assistance of Earl Floyd, who came off his own hot streak last game against Palmetto FC Bantams with one goal and one assist. Floyd had another assist in stoppage time of the first half, aiding Devin Pierce with a second goal for Virginia Beach.
“In the first half, we were able to really pass the ball around and came together as a team,” said defender Ross Stallworthy. “Tonight, it just clicked. We’ve knocked off two of the top teams in our division so we have the skills and confidence. We’re going to take the positives and keep moving forward.”
The Piranhas midfield and defense held strong in the second half, limiting Fredericksburg’s chances until the 68th minute when the Hotspur was able to make their only unassisted goal of the game, scored by Ryan Sappington.
The Piranhas responded moments later in the 76th minute with another goal from Gibson. This time the assist was by Luis Zamora ensuring a victory for the home team.
“We created chances and finished,” said Gibson. He added that the team wants to continue to impress the fans that keep coming out to support the Piranhas. Head Coach Cesar Rizzo agreed, saying that the result was a “great moment” for everyone.
“The team played with a lot of heart and passion,” said Rizzo. “We have a lot of individual talent that came together as a team. It’s exciting to have another win at home against one of the top teams in our division.”
The PDL Piranhas immediately hit the road early on Sunday headed to Richard Montgomery High School for a re-match with Real Maryland Monarchs FC, a kickoff time set for 6:00 p.m. Running into heavy traffic and barely making kick-off, Virginia Beach took the pitch feeling “stiff and unprepared.”
The first goal by the Monarchs was made in the 29th minute when George Fochive blasted a set piece rebound off Piranhas goalkeeper Tyler Benham into the far corner, after which the Piranhas never gained momentum. Less than a minute later, David Neuberth further applied pressure with a breakaway, but was thwarted by Benham. In the 33rd minute, Neuberth drilled home a strike off a Monarchs corner kick from Emilio Cornago.
The two teams came out in the second half with the same intensity as at the start of the game. But again it was the Monarchs who found the back of the net, effectively sealing the game when Ndaw played the ball to Alessane Kane for a strong finish in the 57th minute. Ndaw then capped the victory in the 70th minute as he finished a finely chipped cross while on a full sprint from Patrick Pato.
Despite a strong, valiant effort by Virginia Beach, the Monarchs defense recorded its sixth shutout of the season with Sean Cote in goal recording seven saves while Bush Yormie, Tomi Adewole, Uzi Tayou and Emilio Cornago locked down the back against a high-powered Piranhas offense.
To purchase tickets, or for more information on the Virginia Beach Piranhas, please call 757-419-3317 or visit
www.vbpiranhas.com.
| Scoring Summary |
| |
1 |
2 |
FT |
| Virginia Beach |
2 |
1 |
3 |
| Fredericksburg |
0 |
1 |
1 |
Virginia Beach: JerJer Gibson 31 (Floyd)
Virginia Beach: Devin Pierce 45+ (Floyd)
Fredericksburg: Ryan Sappington 68
Viginia Beach: JerJer Gibson 76 (Zamora)
Starting Lineups:
Virginia Beach: Tyler Benham, Jake Corliss, Tennant McVea,Michael Harrell, Ross Stallworthy (Merkes 56), Patrice Mbang, Devin Pierce, Ritchie Duffie (Clare 69), Luis Zamora (Acosta 81), JerJer Gibson (Hinte 78), Earl Floyd
Fredericksburg: Ryan Taylor, Karel Manrav, Assane Keita, Dale Robins-Bailey (Silverster 86), Nick Rich, Demar Stevenson (Emerick 62), Todd Wharton, Nate Shiffman, Dylan Bowman, Ryan Sappington, Tishan Hanley
Game Statistics:
Shots: VB 6, FI 15; Saves: VB 6, FI 1; Fouls: VB 11, FI 6; Offsides: VB 4, FI 4;Corners: VB 2, FI 12; Cautions: Virginia Beach (Stallworthy 42), Fredricksburg (Hanley 70), Fredricksburg (Keita 75), Virginia Beach (Mbang 86); Ejections: None; Officials: Matthew Franz, Patrick Stephan, Michael Samaan; Attendance: 357; Weather: Sunny.
