Air Force Academy
UMKC
Falcons Blow By UMKC, 6-3
10/12/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 12, 2009
Senior Josh Rhynard scored two goals and added one assist Monday afternoon to lead the Air Force men's soccer team to a decisive, 6-3 victory over UMKC at Cadet Soccer Stadium. Air Force, which scored the most goals in one game since recording seven in the second game of the 2003 season, improved to 5-3-1, while UMKC fell to 4-6-1.
Rhynard helped open the scoring when he dribbled the ball past UMKC goalie Ken Cooper to the end line, then fed junior Kyle Moses, who found an open net to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead just 8:17 into the game.
UMKC answered less than two minutes later when Bryan Perez was pulled down in the box and awarded a penalty kick. Perez sent the PK past Falcon goalie Mike Mauro into the net.
The Falcons took over the game by scoring the next four goals. Sophomore Garrett Getschow got things rolling with his third goal of the season in the 14th minute. Moses collected the ball at the top of the box after some miscommunication between Cooper and one of his defenders and one-timed a pass to Getschow, who fired the ball to the right of Cooper into the net.
Rhynard scored the first of his two tallies in the 29th minute to make it 3-1 with a beautiful give-and-go with senior Steven Noller and a shot from eight yards out. Senior Jared Gomez closed out the first-half scoring with his second goal of the season after taking a through-pass from freshman Kevin Durr and placing a shot off the left post into the net in the 33rd minute.
The Falcons made it 5-1 early in the second half as Rhynard took a long crossing pass from sophomore Ben Chavez and headed the ball past Cooper. The Kangaroos tried to keep it close by scoring the next two goals to cut the lead to 5-3. Diego Rojas scored in the 58th minute off a pass from Perez, then UMKC scored when Falcon defender Ryan Robinson tried to clear the ball after Jimmy Simon rocketed a shot off the crossbar. Robinson misplayed the ball and it ended up in the net past Jim Gullo, who had replaced Mauro at halftime.
Perez had a chance to cut the lead to one with another penalty shot in the 74th minute, but his shot hit the crossbar. Air Force made it 6-3 less than a minute later when sophomore John Melcher scored the first goal of his career off a cross from Gomez.
"We played very well in the first half today," said Air Force coach Doug Hill. "Our touches were outstanding and we took advantage of our opportunities. It was nice to see goals from so many different players and know that we can be dangerous from different positions."
The Falcons outshot UMKC, 26-15, and had a 16-9 advantage in shots on goal. Mauro made four saves in gaining his second career victory and Gullo made two for Air Force. Cooper had four saves and Ricardo Guerra made six for UMKC in just under 38 minutes after replacing Cooper.
The Falcons open play in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation on Friday, Oct. 16 on the road at Sacramento State, beginning at 4 p.m.
