PORTLAND, OR - Even amidst a nasty storm brewing on the west coast, the No. 3 ranked SFU Clan men's soccer team (10-0-1, 5-0-1) was unfazed on Thursday evening, cruising to a 2-0 blanking of the Concordia Cavaliers (4-5-2, 1-4-1) to remain unbeaten this season.
The first goal of rookie midfielder
Freddie Gard's career turned out to be the winner, with
Ryan Dhillon's third marker of the season serving as insurance.
The first stanza saw the Clan absolutely dominate possession from start to finish, outshooting Concordia 11-1 over those 45 minutes.
From a bevy of chances, the Clan's best opportunity of the first half came off a
Robert Hyams corner, as
Mamadi Camara did well to run on to the ball in the six-yard box and put a header towards Cavaliers goalkeeper Jason Hines. The ball just grazed the crossbar before finding its way above the net.
Still, the overall play of SFU was impressive, despite the 0-0 scoreboard at half.
SFU head coach
Clint Schneider attributed the one-sided display not only to the skill level of his players, but also to his team's ability to adjust to the looks Concordia gave them.
"They wanted to put eleven guys behind the ball – really didn't want to concede a goal," said the head coach. "Credit to them, despite the possession we had, it was 0-0 at the half. A quick play, and they could have easily gone up 1-0. It was good that we turned it on after the break."
It was Gard who broke the scoreless deadlock, just six minutes into the second stanza. Off a corner from
Adam Jones off the left side, the British import got himself isolated, took the ball near the back post, and hammered it past Hines.
"We know how bad Freddie wanted that one, so we're really excited for him," noted Schneider. "Has all the talent, and that was an excellent finish. Really proud of him."
Dhillon got the Clan some needed breathing room at the game's 65 minute mark – after Camara and Anthony Van de Vendel flipped positions down the right flank, the defender showed off his vision by picking out Dhillon in the box. The captain was patient, outwaiting his defender in tight before tucking the ball around Hines.
The goal was just one of several highlights for Dhillon, whose speed and ball skills gave Concordia fits all game.
"Ryan is such a special player. Unbelievably talented, and a terrific leader on top of it all," gushed Schneider. "There's a reason he's a captain, and we're so incredibly fortunate that he's on our side."
A late red card on Concordia's Billy Fleury, dinged for getting the studs up on
Brendan Shaw, left the Cavaliers with 10 men for the game's final five minutes, as the Clan coasted to the 2-0 win.
Of note, the win also marks the 27th career GNAC clean sheet for
Brandon Watson, putting him just one behind the conference record. However, this most recent clean sheet was unique in that the senior goalkeeper didn't have to make a single save. The Clan even kept Matt Paine, GNAC's leading scorer and reigning Player of the Week, to four shouts and none on target.
Still unbeaten, the Clan will face another stiff test this Saturday, October 15, as the Western Washington Vikings (4-4-3, 1-3-2) will make their way to Terry Fox Field on Burnaby Mountain. The Vikes and Clan are set to clash at 7:00 pm.
