Petersburg, VA - The Virginia State University Men's Soccer team fell short at home to Johnson & Wales University on Sunday, September 29, 2024, losing the match 1-5. The Trojans' record dropped to 1-4-1 overall, while JWU improved to 3-1-1 on the season. 

VSU fell behind early in the match-up, giving up goals at the 17:26 mark, 30:33, and 38:35 in the game. JWU had a total of 19 shots, with 11 of those shots on goal, compared to VSU's 9 shots, with 4 on goal. The number of opportunities resulted in a lot of pressure on the VSU defense, making it difficult for the Trojans to get back into the game. Even with early struggles, the effort was apparent as Trojan Daniel Fombu scored a goal at the 39:23 mark, easing the pressure for VSU. It was the only goal scored for VSU on the day. 

The second half of the match saw a similar trend from the first, with two goals being scored by JWU in this half from the same player. Yomar Puguero from JWU scored at both the 42:16 mark and the 57:08 mark of the game. VSU tried to create opportunities to score with three corner kick opportunities in the second half but could not capitalize on scoring a goal. Despite the effort, the Trojans ultimately fell short and will look to bounce back with two home games in a row. 



What's Next
The first game is on Wednesday, Oct 2, at 4:00 PM against Barton College, followed by a match-up against CIAA opponent Shaw University on Saturday, Oct 5, at 3:30 PM. Great opportunities await VSU to get back into the win column with the home-field advantage.