Virginia Beach, Virginia - For the first time in three home matches, rain didn't meet Virginia Beach Mariners players and fans at the Sportsplex Saturday night. Beautiful weather and great play were the highlights of the meeting between the Mariners and first-place Rochester and when the whistle blew at the end of 90 minutes, the teams had played to a 0-0 draw. The match was played dead even; 11 shots per team and saves were 3-3.
The game was marked by defense and more defense with a little offense thrown in. Mariner keeper Matt Nelson made what was arguably the highlight play of the match with a spectacular save in the 5th minute on a point blank shot from the middle of the box. In the 90th minute, Mariner forward Jakob Fenger, who scored the game-winner against Miami last week, pushed the ball down the left side and crossed to racing teammate John Barry Nusum whose 18-yard bullet just sailed by inches over the crossbar.
The Mariners and Rhinos meet twice more in the next two weeks. The Mariners will travel to Rochester for the grand opening of PAETEC Park on Saturday, June 3rd and both teams then return to Virginia Beach on June 9. The match in Rochester will be broadcast live on Fickle 93.3-FM and webcast on http://www.ifickle.com/.
The Mariners' next home match is Sunday, June 4 against Rochester. Kickoff at the Sportsplex is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Scoring Summary
1 2 FT
Virginia Beach 0 0 0
Rochester 0 0 0
Players:
Virginia Beach: Nelson, Schwarze, Danbusky, Woods, Shak, Bilyk, O'Neill, Mack (Nusum 74), Low, Simmonds, Fenger
Players not used: Ruch, Demmin, Aguilera, Scroggins, Hutchison, Brillant
Rochester: Vallow, San Filippo, Bertz, Perry, Palguta, Lines (Lewis 65), Howes, Menyongar, Ball, Gbeke (Edozien 75), Delicate (Kramer 65)
Players not used: Hannigan, Dombrowski, Ambersley, Bonseu
Statistics:
Shots: VB 11, ROC 11; Saves: VB 3, ROC 3; Fouls: VB 23, ROC 21; Offsides: VB 0, ROC 5; Corners: VB 7, ROC 2; Cautions: VB (Shak 90); ROC (Perry 21, Ball 84).
Officials: Jason Sessions, Shaun Papperman, Clive Edwards, Andrew Sinclair
Attendance: 2,438.
Carol Senechal
For USLFans.com
