HARRISONBURG, Va. - An 84th-minute goal by Liberty defender Jamie Foxwell downed the James Madison men's soccer team in a 1-0 loss at University Park on Friday night.
Following on-field confusion as to whether there was a hand ball in the box or simply a blocked shot, the Flames (4-3) were granted a corner in the 83rd minute. Liberty midfielder Geovanny Murillo connected with Nico Bellarde, who flicked the ball on to Foxwell to bury the shot in the back of the net.
The Dukes (0-5-1) kicked things off in the sixth minute when redshirt freshman Billy Metzler fired a shot and forced a save from Liberty goalkeeper Jeremy Lee. Play remained even as both teams battled for position and struggled to find quality chances offensively.
Liberty came close to snagging the lead just before half. Senior goalkeeper Kyle Morton made an excellent sliding save on a 43rd-minute shot attempt by Khalil Karl to keep the game scoreless heading into the break.
Shots were ultimately close as Liberty took eight to JMU's nine. The Flames were able to take advantage of set-piece opportunities however, which included seven corner kicks.
Noteworthy The game was very physical throughout, with two yellow cards being issued to each team by the head referee.
Freshman Spotlight Alongside redshirt freshman Billy Metzler's shot in the sixth minute, true-freshman midfielder Jordan Forresterearned the Dukes' other shot on goal in the game with a low shot in the 80th minute.
Coach's Quote "The goal of our team is to get better day-in and day-out," said head coach Tom Foley. "We've got to learn from the olther games, put them behind us and try to have a better performance next time we play."
Next Up The Dukes return to action on Tuesday, Sept. 22 when they welcome the VMI Keydets to Harrisonburg. The game, sponsored by Corgans' Publick House, is scheduled for 7 p.m. at University Park. Admission is free. Â