(Mitchell Richtmyre / Fourth Estate)
Late equalizer dims Mason’s dreams of hosting A-10 tournament game
BY SAM DOUGLAS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
A physical, back-and-forth men’s soccer match between the George Mason Patriots and Saint Joseph’s Hawks ended in a 2-2 draw at Mason Stadium Saturday night.
The two teams entered the match fighting for a critical three points needed to help lift themselves into a top-four spot in the A-10 table, which would give them home-field advantage entering the A-10 Tournament.
Mason entered their final home match of the regular season 6-5-2 overall and 3-2-1 in conference, ranking them sixth in the A-10. Saint Joseph’s was just ahead of the Patriots, in fifth place, with a 3-2-2 conference record.
As the Davidson Wildcats held on to fourth place in the conference with a 3-1-2 record, both Mason and Saint Joseph’s needed a win and some luck to put themselves in a good position entering the final regular game of the season.
However, neither team pulled far enough away from the other during the contest. Saint Joseph’s junior defender Herman Tveit-Reffsgaard started the scoring in the 32nd minute, taking advantage of a deflection after freshman defender Finn Murray’s shot was blocked by goalkeeper Jaume Salvado.
Mason immediately answered with a goal from graduate midfielder Kenzo Brito just two minutes later, his first as a Patriot. With the score even at 1-1 coming out of the break, Mason freshman forward Jaime Godinho scored his first goal of the season, three minutes into the second half.
Play would become increasingly physical as the second half went on. A total of 30 fouls and six yellow cards were issued, as both sides tried to take all three points. Mason suffered a scare in the 83rd minute as senior midfielder Matteo Mazzotta overshot a penalty kick after junior midfielder Javier Montava shoved Saint Joseph’s graduate defender Kobe Perlaza in the penalty box.
Mazzotta got his revenge just five minutes later, with his 88th-minute shot bouncing off a player and into the goal to shock the Patriots.
Entering the season defending their A-10 regular season title from last year, Mason suffered key injuries earlier in the season, including one to graduate defender Javi Sánchez. The Patriots’ commitment to their teammates and the team helped them through it.
“We push for each other,” sophomore forward Martim Sereno said. “We are a family.”
Mason faced a tough non-conference schedule, going 3-3-1. They opened the season with a one-goal loss to #2 Marshall, but were ranked #22 nationally by the Coaches Poll after an upset victory at Mason Stadium over the #11 Virginia Cavaliers. A high-scoring loss to the #6 West Virginia Mountaineers and a 1-0 win against the UMBC Retrievers followed, but the Patriots ended their non-conference slate with a tough 5-2 loss against Georgetown and a goalless draw against the William & Mary Tribe.
In-conference, Mason has had multiple high-scoring outbursts, slotting three goals past the Loyola Chicago Ramblers and six past the St. Bonaventure Bonnies. They have played their rivals close, with Jacobo Sanfeliu scoring the lone goal in a 1-0 win versus the George Washington Revolutionaries. The Patriots were unable to snap a streak of 13 years without a win against the VCU Rams, however, losing 2-1.
Mason closes out their season on Nov. 1 in Pittsburgh against the Duquesne Dukes. As things stand, they would need a win as well as a loss or draw from Dayton for Mason Stadium to host a playoff game.