In a Piedmont Triad showdown, the Elon University men’s soccer team lost in a physically demanding game to High Point University 1-0 on Oct. 1.
Elon jumped off to an almost perfect start, entering the top 10 of Top Drawer Soccer’s national rankings for the first time since 2015. They are also currently ranked 17 in the United Soccer Coaches poll. Coming off the team’s first loss of the season after falling to Hofstra University on Sept. 28, Elon looked to bounce back from one of the first signs of adversity the team has faced this year.
Despite the recent loss, Rudd Field was rocking with boisterous emotion. The stands were packed with fans of the Phoenix, and a multitude of chants and occasional stomping occurred throughout the game, thanks to Elon fans’ pride in the electric start to the season.
High Point came out of the gates on the offensive, putting pressure on Elon early by controlling play near Elon’s goal for the opening minutes. Their aggressiveness was apparent with Elon co-captain senior Scott Vatne being tripped up three times within the first five minutes. The Panthers also committed eight fouls in the first half.
High Point had 12 fouls against Elon, playing an aggressive style that led to many members of the Phoenix on the ground, including senior Scott Vatne, who was tripped up numerous times.
A little more than a minute into the half, High Point appeared to score off the leg of Alfred Baafi, but it was called back due to offsides. But Baafi was not deterred, and shot another one into the goal only minutes later — this time counting on the scoreboard.
What followed was a defensive clash for the rest of the half in the two teams’ 58th meeting. The Panthers and the Phoenix traded opportunities and got some shots off, including two from Vatne, but neither team could get an opening for a goal.Vatne ended up with three shots and was the only player for Elon with multiple. Despite holding the shot advantage in the first half, Elon didn’t get a shot on goal.
Head coach Marc Reeves said High Point is a well-coached team but believes Elon didn’t step up to compete.
“Our quality tonight on the ball, decision making on the ball, was nowhere near good enough to win that game,” Reeves told Elon News Network.
The second half was much of the same with High Point putting on a defensive showcase, eliminating Elon’s opportunities. After a five-shot first half, Elon was held to only two shots in the second half. Elon’s shot total of seven was a clear outlier from the team’s average of 11.4 shots per game.
The meager offensive performance could be attributed to the absence of two key contributors to Elon’s attack. Junior Colin Vetri, who leads the team in goals, and the team’s assist leader graduate student Victor Stromsten both didn’t play due to injury. But Reeves said that doesn’t excuse the team’s performance.
“I think it wasn't quite as fluid in the front group as we normally are,” Reeves said. “Every team has that issue. That's not an excuse. We know that we got to step up and continue playing.”
Bruised and battered by High Point's physical defense, Elon men's soccer lost 1-0 in their first game without scoring Oct. 1 at Rudd Field.
The Panthers’ aggressiveness continued, finishing with 12 fouls, and by the end, numerous members of the Phoenix ended up bruised, battered and on the ground at some point. High Point’s physicality bled into their defense, holding back a late rally by Elon. In the final minutes, Elon advanced into High Point’s territory thanks to a curved shot by Vatne, but the stout Panthers defense emulated a brick wall.
Reeves had a simple summary of how the game went for Elon.
“I don’t think we were as competitive as we needed to be,” Reeves said.
The loss was the first shutout of the season for the Phoenix, and Reeves attributed it to their inability to find openings and capitalize on key moments.
“We talked about the impact of one or two moments, but you got to earn those moments by doing all the things right the entire time so when they come, they go your favor,” Reeves said. “I thought tonight we weren't in that frame of mind.”
After winning seven of its first eight games, the team will have to regain their bearings ahead of their matchup with CAA rival William & Mary at 7 p.m. on Oct. 5 at Rudd Field. Reeves said he believes the team can bounce back.
“We have a great regroup of training, we recover, try and freshen the legs up again and prepare for a really talented William and Mary team,” Reeves said. “We didn't drop any league points. Our goal is to finish as high as possible in the CAA and try to be regular season champions, try and win the CAA tournament, and that’s not impacted by tonight's result.”