ELON, N.C. – The Elon University men's soccer team won its fourth straight Colonial Athletic Association match as the Phoenix downed Drexel, 3-0, on Saturday night, Oct. 1, at Rudd Field.
 
The Phoenix (7-2-1, 4-1 CAA) posted its seventh shutout in its 10 matches played this season shutting out a Drexel (4-3-3, 2-2-1 CAA) squad that came into the match leading the CAA in goals scored.
 
"It was a really strong defensive effort," said Elon head coach Marc Reeves. "Drexel is a really good team and they are going to be around at the end of the season. But it was a true team effort defensively as we are able to earn max points again in the CAA."
 
THE RUNDOWN
• The Elon defense was up to the task in the opening stanza against the Dragons. Drexel held possession for most of the first period, controlling the ball about 55 percent of the time and firing eight shots with two coming on goal.
• Elon got on the board in the 34^th minute. Scott Vatne served a perfect ball off a corner kick that found the head of Myson Darden in the six-yard box. The Raleigh, N.C., native redirected the service into the back of the net for his first score of the season.
• Darden helped the Phoenix secure its second goal of the night off another set piece. Elon drew a free kick in the 66^th minute with Marco Vesterholm taking the assignment. Vesterholm sent the ball into the box where it found the head of Franc Gamiz Quer, who then redirected the ball towards Darden in the box. Darden flicked a pass to Michael Clow, who was unmarked at the far post with the graduate student sending a right-footed strike to the back of the goal.
• The Phoenix added the third and final goal of the match inside the 86^th minute. Vemund Hole Vik finished a run near the top corner of the box with a pass to junior Sam Durand. Durand sent a through ball into the box to Mason Duval, who was able to gather control and earn his fifth goal of the season just inside the left post.
 
NOTES
• The win was the fourth for the Phoenix in CAA play, already matching its league win total from last season.
• Elon had a 13-9 shot advantage over Drexel, holding the Dragons to only one shot in the second half. Coming into the match, the Dragons led the CAA with 17 goals scored and in total shots with 116.
• The Phoenix improved its all-time ledger versus Drexel to 5-2-1 and snapped its three-match winless streak versus the Dragons.
• Ryan Bilichuk had two saves in goal for the maroon and gold to add to his national-lead seventh clean sheet of the year.
• Darden became the tenth different player to score a goal for the Phoenix this season in only his fifth start of the year.