College Men’s Soccer Final – Roanoke 1, Guilford 0

SALEM, Va. – Marc Hoppler’s goal early in the first half of late-Wednesday afternoon’s Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) contest proved to be the difference maker as Guilford College dropped the contest to Roanoke College, 1-0.

Jackson Goyette set up Hoppler with a drop pass for the game’s first shot in the 2nd minute. Hoppler put his right foot on the ball, sending it to the left corner of the goal to put the Maroons (7-4-3, 4-0-2 ODAC) ahead. The Maroons claimed three of the next four shots in the next 15 minutes of the period with the pace slowing down for the remainder of the period as Cole Thornton’s shot off the crossbar was one of only two shots in that span.

The pace quickened to open the second half as Roanoke drew two corner kicks in the first 1:12 of the period and both sides fired three shots in the first 3:12. The Maroons began a stretch of six consecutive shots in the 55th minute for a six-minute span where Eric Hayes (Greensboro, N.C./Ragsdale) made three saves. The Quakers (5-7-2, 0-3-2 ODAC) responded with three shots over a 13-minute stretch while holding off Roanoke’s offense. The Quakers pressed in the final 13 minutes of the contest, producing six corner kicks, including three in the 86th minute. The Quakers fired two final shots as the half wound down, including one in the final minute, but the Maroons held to claim the victory.

Roanoke out-shot Guilford, 17-7, and held a slight edge on corner kicks, 8-6, as all of Guilford’s corner kick chances came in the second half.

Hayes finished with ten saves, a season-high. Roanoke’s Nick Tardos made four saves.

The Quakers return home to Appenzeller Field at Armfield Athletic Center Saturday, hosting Virginia Wesleyan College for a 7 p.m. ODAC contest.