ELON, N.C. – A long-distance strike from junior
Scott Vatne in the opening half proved to be the difference as the Elon University men's soccer team earned a 1-0 shutout victory over Jacksonville in its home opener on Sunday, Aug. 27 at Rudd Field.
Vatne delivered his second goal in as many games for the Phoenix (1-1) from just beyond midfield. The Klepp, Norway, native caught the keeper out of position to chip the ball over his head that landed beautifully into the goal in the sixth minute.
Elon goalkeeper
Tomasz Wroblewski made six saves in goal to post his first shutout in the Phoenix net. Jacksonville fell to 0-2 overall on the season as both teams closed out their portion of the John Rennie/Nike Invitational tournament.
The Rundown
Wroblewski was tested early in the match in the fifth minute as he made his first save of the day on a
Mason Duval attempt at the six-yard area. Duval had received a cross in the box and looked to push the ball past Wroblewski on a sliding chance, but the netminder was able to corral it.
Just over a minute and a half later, the Phoenix was able to capitalize on Vatne's goal. The midfielder helped force a Jacksonville turnover just before while catching the Dolphins' goalkeeper off his line. Vatne then chipped the ball over the defense with a perfectly placed ball that bounced off the goal line and into the net.
Elon nearly doubled its lead a couple of minutes later. Vatne crossed the ball into the box from the top of the 18-yard area where it deflected off a Jacksonville defender. The carom found the foot of
Luca Erhardt, who fired a shot towards the goal, but it was stopped by the Dolphins' Christian Sekanina.
Jacksonville kept the pressure on the Phoenix and Wroblewski in the 27
th minute. The Dolphins earned a corner kick and nearly leveled the match off the set piece as Wroblewski snuffed out shots from Owen Guske and
Jeppe Jordoson to keep the Phoenix in front.
Vatne nearly added a brace both in the 32
nd minute and in the 39
th minute. His first attempt from just at the top of the box went off the right post while another chance on a free kick found the gloves of Sekanina to keep it a one-goal match before going into the halftime break.
Coming out into the second period, Elon had five shot attempts in the first 18 minutes.
Calle Edelstam had a pair of shots on target that were stopped by Sekanina as the Dolphins continued to stay close chasing the equalizer.
The Dolphins nearly leveled the match three times in the last 20 minutes of action. Jacksonville's Taurayi Tugwete had a shot turned away by Wroblewski in the 72
nd minute while Duval had another attempt stopped in the 85
th minute. Jacksonville's last chance to knot the match came with less than a minute remaining as Carson Wood had a chance also stopped by Wroblewski as the Phoenix hung on for the shutout win.
Notes
• Jacksonville won the overall shot battle, 11-10, with both teams being tied with six attempts on target.
• Vatne, Wroblewski and
Franc Gamiz Quer were all selected to the All-Tournament Team as the Phoenix finished second overall. Host Duke earned the tournament title with its win over Furman on Sunday.
• The Phoenix welcomed back former players Duval and Jordoson along with former associate head coach Ali Simmons, who is the head coach for Jacksonville.
Up Next
Elon opens CAA play with a trip to Stony Brook next Saturday, Sept. 2. The Phoenix and the Seawolves are slated for a 2 p.m. kickoff.
-- ELON --
