RICHMOND, Va. – There’s a theory out there that “Defense wins championships.” If that holds true, the Virginia Commonwealth University women’s soccer team is in good shape.

The Rams (2-3-1) posted their second consecutive shutout, but this time their opponent, the Spiders of the University of Richmond (2-4-1), did the same as the two teams battled to a scoreless draw in the final game of the 2009 VCU/Impact Sports Invitational.

“We have to look at the positives of the game first and that’s the fact that we were able to pitch the shutout and our defense played really well,” Co-Head Coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak said. “Our back four are really coming together as a unit and we’re happy with the defense we’ve been playing lately.”

Richmond had an early chance as Shondel Archer tried to get loose on a breakaway, but redshirt junior Myriam Bouchard (Quebec City, Quebec) was able to fend off the Spiders’ scoring opportunity in the 13th minute.

Sophomore Azania (Taboao Da Serra, Brazil) tried to create some opportunities for the Black & Gold, but Richmond was able to thwart any real scoring threat in the first half.

The second half was much of the same with sophomore Molly Allen (Halifax, Nova Scotia) and senior Jasmine Riley (Arlington, Va.) both unleashing a couple close shots, but Spider goaltender Melissa Pacheco was able to come up with the saves.

Neither team was able to muster any close scoring chances for the final minutes of regulation as the two teams headed to the first overtime period.

Azania would try to put the game away just three minutes into the overtime period dribbling through the Spider midfield and lofting a pass to Riley who cut down the left sideline and fed a cross through the box to fellow senior June Hartman (Virginia Beach, Va.), but the pass was just two steps ahead of Hartman as the game remained scoreless.  

Richmond’s Bridget Kinealy tried to come up with late drama for the Spiders when she dribbled down the right sideline as time was running out in the first overtime and crossed to a teammate, but VCU goaltender Kate Hudson (Clarksville, Md.) came out to break up the play and send the two teams into second overtime period.

Freshman Lauryn Hutchinson (Sterling, Va.) came off the bench to give a spark to the Black & Gold in the final 10 minutes.

The first came off a corner from sophomore Meaghan Dullea (Virginia Beach, Va.) which found Hutchinson who got off a shot from within five yards that was blocked by a Richmond defender. The rebound was gathered up by sophomore Heather Hovanesian (Centreville, Va.), who unleashed a shot that dribbled along the goal line but escaped the inside of the goal as the scoreboard remained at 0-0.

Allen tried to end the game in the 105th minute as she lofted a long pass to Riley, who tapped a pass to Hutchinson. The freshman blasted a shot from 20 yards out that went just wide.

The final five minutes were back-and-forth play without any scoring chances for either squad.
“We definitely had our chances today,” Co-Head Coach Tim Sahaydak added. “But this is what happens in soccer, sometimes you have a bunch of chances and aren’t able to convert. It’s just good our defense played so well.”

Hudson and Pacheco both picked up the shutouts for their squads, the second and first of the season for each, respectively.

Dullea, Bouchard and Azania were all named to the All-Tournament Team.

VCU goes back on the road next weekend with a Friday afternoon match-up at Lehigh and a Sunday afternoon meeting with Bucknell.