BY JEFREY CANOVA, SPORTS STAFFER
Photo: GoBonnies
Virginia Commonwealth University men’s soccer team beat St. Bonaventure University 4-0 on Saturday in the 2023 season finale.
Over the first 20 minutes of the game, the Bonnies unsettled VCU’s backline as they used their width to create chances through their crosses. In the 15th minute, a one-two combination between midfielder Kenzo Brito and fullback Keegan Dawson allowed Brito to cross the ball from the left flank to marked forward Umechi Akuazaoku, who then shot the ball toward the bottom right-hand side of the net but could not finish his chance. In the 16th minute, Bonaventure had another opportunity to score as from the left flank, forward Rafael Pereira played a ball to forward Andres Javitt. Javitt’s first touch after the pass allowed him to glide through his defender and shoot the ball toward the net, but Rams’ goalkeeper John Ermini saved the shot.
The Rams, now 5-5-5 overall (5-1-2 in the Atlantic 10 Conference), responded as they began blasting longshots outside the 18 to test Bonaventure goalkeeper Jules Dechert. In the 21st minute, VCU midfielder Mouhamed Tucker caught the Bonnies by surprise. From the left flank, Tucker drove through the Bonaventure backline and picked out unmarked midfielder Jonathan Kanagwa inside the middle of the box. Kanagwa placed the ball toward the right-hand side of the net, giving the Rams the lead.
Ten minutes later, VCU doubled the lead as Tucker burst down the left flank and passed the ball to Kanagwa. Kanagwa then passed the ball to midfielder Andrey Salmeron, who slotted his shot toward the right-hand side of the net.
At halftime, the Bonnies ended with seven shots (three on goal), while the Rams had five shots (four on target).
In the second half, the Rams’ defense and combination play between the midfield and forward line continued to devastate Bonaventure’s backline, especially with Kanagwa. In the 65th minute, Kanagwa picked up his second assist of the game as, from the outside the box, he chipped the ball for defender Gerardo Castillo. Castillo controlled the ball with his chest and nutmegged Dechert to score VCU’s third goal.
Three minutes later, a miscommunication between Bonnies defender Clay Smith and Brito near the left-hand side of the 18 allowed Rams midfielder Andres Rodriguez to capitalize on the mistake. Rodriguez stole the ball from Brito and spotted Kanagwa running inside unmarked. He delivered a low-driven cross to Kanagwa as he tapped the ball towards the net, scoring VCU’s fourth goal and sealing the victory. Kanagwa finished the game with two goals and two assists.
Despite the Bonnies equaling the Rams in total shots with ten and shots on target with six, they could not finish their chances and suffered their final loss at the Sports Backers Stadium.
With their victory against the Bonnies, the Rams achieved the Atlantic 10 Regular Season title as they finished the season with 17 points in the conference, with two points ahead of Loyola Chicago. In the A-10 playoffs, VCU will face the eighth-seeded Fordham University at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 3.
The Bonnies close the season with an overall record of 6-7-4 overall and a 2-5-1 A-10 record. Bonnies ended the season on a two-game losing streak, both crucial losses to end their A-10 playoff hopes. Still, the Bonnies finished four points away from getting the final spot in the tournament.
Brito finished the season as the Bonnies leader in points with 14 (six assists and four goals), with Pereira (12 points) tying Brito in total assists with six. The Bonnies’ leading scorers, Akuazaoku and Javitt, finished the season with five goals each. Akuazaoku’s five goals and three assists saw him finish the season with 13 points, while Javitt’s five goals and two assists had him finish with 12. In his 14 games played, Dechert finished the season with five shutouts and 72 saves.
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