The Rundown: Hokies back on track after 'capitalizing' on chances on 4-0 win over Queens
Blacksburg- For the first time in three games, Tech men's soccer has prevailed. The now-no. 19 team in the land stamped their authority with three first-half strikes and 31 total shots on the Royals' goal.
After a neat pirouette by Oliver Roche amongst a torrential downpour, the Denmark native cooly dispatched the first of the night's proceedings 12 minutes in.
Amidst the rain on Tuesday night, the Hokies played with a real emphasis on forcing the ball into the middle of the box. Captain Willie Cardona seizes two assists on the night thanks to his precise inside passes to Roche and Declan Quill. Quill scooped his first goal of the year after a neat run inside the box and a quick chop, which opened up the goal for Quill, who had been absent for most of the year following a lengthy injury.
Quill found freshman sensation Ian Marcano for the team's first-half finale. Marcano's shot was deflected and went just wide of the outstretched arms of Royal, Evan Morris.
"I told the guys the sign of a good team as they come in and they take care of business in the midweek and they did that."
While coach Mike Brizendine is likely talking about his team putting the game away with the trifecta first half, during the second 45, Tech, while not as deadly on the net, was dictating the night's tempo. The Hokies maintained possession and gave Morris many shots to deal with, allowing Hokie players to line up in a queue to see who was gonna put the final bow on the night.
Ultimately, Alex Perez's left-footed strike across goal put the game to bed. Once again, it was a ball played just inside the Queens' box that allowed transfer CJ Coppola to tap a lofted Marcos Escoe ball to Perez, who wielded his foot and rocketed an effort past Morris.
Next is an in-state clash with UVa for this season's annual Commonwealth Clash. While Virginia is on a steady decline compared to previous years, Brizendine demands efforts similar to Queens, as his team is forced to embark north to Klockner Stadium to take on the Hoos Friday at 7 p.m.
