James Madison men’s soccer defeats VMI 2-0

HARRISONBURG, Va. (Via James Madison University) – Scoring a goal in each half, the James Madison men’s soccer team earned a 2-0 victory over the Keydets of VMI at University Park on Tuesday night. The win marks the first of the 2015 season and the first of Head Coach Tom Foley’s tenure.

Running straight through the center of the field, senior defender Rhys Howard reached the top of the box before dropping the ball off for freshman Thomas Shores. Shores then dribbled past a VMI defender and slotted a right-footed shot into the back of the net to give the Dukes (1-5-1) the lead in the 24th minute.

JMU dominated on both sides of the ball as it led in shots by an impressive 24-2 margin and earned more corner kick opportunities at a rate of 9-1.

The Keydets (0-7-0) forced redshirt-junior goalkeeper Kyle Morton to step up for a save in the 54th minute, representing thier lone shot on goal and best chance of the game.

Junior midfielder Callum Hill gave James Madison some insurance in the 50th minute to put the game away. Redshirt freshman Billy Metzler made a run down the left side of the field, cut in and fired a shot. The attempt was blocked by a VMI defender, but the rebound fell right in front of the goal for an easy tap-in by Hill.

Shores and senior forward Eric Schmidt led the Dukes’ attack with four shots each with 12 players tallying at least one shot on the night.