Salisbury, NC—The Virginia State University (VSU) Men's Soccer team traveled to North Carolina to face Catawba College on Tuesday, October 22, in a match that ended in a challenging 7-1 defeat for the Trojans. With this loss, VSU's overall record is 1-9-1, while Catawba improves to 5-3-5.

Catawba wasted no time asserting their dominance, as Bautista Vecchi-Ramello opened the scoring early in the first half. Assisted by Jacopo Suagher, Vecchi-Ramello netted his first goal at the 20:52 mark. Just moments later, he struck again, extending Catawba's lead to 2-0 with an assist from Kenny Hassler. VSU's shot attempts made by Daniel Sevalie-Gborie, Ben Allen, and Devien Bell try to put the Trojans on the board.

The Trojans continued to apply defense pressure, and at 33:36, Tino Lira found the back of the net, making it 3-0 before halftime. Catawba's defense, anchored by goalkeeper Zak Stiffler, effectively thwarted VSU's attempts to score, maintaining their clean sheet through the first 45 minutes.

The second half saw Catawba ramp up their offensive efforts. Just three minutes in, Mate Kenyeres scored the fourth goal, assisted by Richard Leon, setting the tone for an explosive second half. Leon added his name to the score sheet shortly after, making it 5-0. Kenyeres struck again at 58:59, this time assisted by Joe Bennett, solidifying Catawba's grip on the match with a commanding 6-0 lead. Tomas Kelly capped the scoring for Catawba at 68:26, bringing the score to 7-0.

Despite the overwhelming deficit, VSU managed to find a glimmer of hope when Sebastine Daniel converted a penalty kick in the 80th minute, marking their only goal of the match.

Catawba's impressive 7-1 victory against VSU highlights their strong offensive capabilities and effective teamwork. As they continue their season, this match serves as a powerful statement of their ambitions. VSU, on the other hand, will need to regroup and strategize as they look to bounce back in their upcoming fixtures.

What's Next

The men's Soccer team will travel to Virginia Beach for a match-up against Regent University on Saturday, October 26 at 6 pm.