ASHLAND, Va. – The 2024 season opener was a success for the Randolph-Macon men's soccer team as it used two first half goals to surge past Rutgers-Newark 2-0 Friday afternoon.
The Basics
Score: Randolph-Macon 2, Rutgers-Newark 0
Location/Venue: Ashland, Va. / Randolph-Macon College / Nunnally Field
Records: Randolph-Macon (1-0-0, 0-0-0 ODAC), Rutgers-Newark (0-1-0, 0-0-0 NJAC)
How it Happened
- Randolph-Macon got the season started with a bang, as Wiley Eubank (Raleigh, N.C./Broughton) sent in a textbook corner that found Dylan Matheny (Chesterfield, Va./Clover Hill). Matheny finished the set piece with a goal in the second minute of the game to give the Yellow Jackets a 1-0 lead.
- The Lemon and Black dominated possession throughout the first half, giving credit to Jake Hall (Mount Airy, Ga./Tallulah Falls School) and Grayson Woods (Charlotte, N.C./Myers Park) working the midfield to set up offensive chances and defensive stops.
- In the final minute of the first half, substitute Hawkins Adcock (Chester, Va./Thomas Dale) used a leading pass from Grant Counts (Odenton, Md./St. Mary's (Annapolis)) to send in a rocket of a shot to double the Randolph-Macon lead to 2-0.
- The second half was more quiet from a goal standpoint, but multiple players from the Yellow Jackets were key in keeping Rutgers-Newark off the board. Ian Edwards (Stafford, Va./North Stafford) and Zach Richards (Virginia Beach, Va./Landstown) played major minutes playing on and off the ball in the midfield to keep possession with RMC.
- Rutgers-Newark never got a steady chance at goal, freshman Elijah Caro (Asheville, N.C./Black Mountain) and the Yellow Jacket defense played a stiff style of defense to keep the Scarlet Raiders away from the goal. Randolph-Macon would use the two first half goals to carry themselves to a decisive 2-0 victory to open up the 2024 campaign.
Inside the Numbers
- Randolph-Macon outshot the Scarlet Raiders 12-to-10. The Yellow Jackets put six shots on frame, compared to the nine Rutgers-Newark put on target.
- Randolph-Macon had eight corner opportunities, as Rutgers-Newark recorded five corner opportunities.
- Adam Braithwaite (Chesterfield, Va./Matoaca) recorded eight saves in goal for the Yellow Jackets, with his fifth save putting him sixth all-time in career saves.
- Matheny and Adcock both recorded goals for Randolph-Macon.
- Eubank and Counts each assisted goals for the Yellow Jackets.
Up Next
Randolph-Macon will be back in action at home in just two days to take on North Carolina Wesleyan on Sunday, September 1 at 2 p.m.
