Falcons Host Belmont in Home Opener on Friday
9/9/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Sept. 9, 2009
Game #1
Air Force Falcons vs. Belmont Bruins
Friday, Sept. 11, 2009
7 p.m. at Cadet Soccer Stadium
Game #2
Air Force Falcons vs. Dayton Flyers
Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009
12 p.m. at Cadet Soccer Stadium
RECORDS
Air Force 1-1
Belmont 0-2
Dayton 0-1-1
RECENT RESULTS
Air Force (1-1)
L, Coll. of Charleston, 1-0: W, Furman, 2-1
Belmont (0-2)
L, Marshall, 4-1; L, Oral Roberts, 2-1
Dayton (0-1-1)
L, Cincinnati, 5-2; T, Oakland, 0-0
COACHES
Doug Hill (USAFA, 1983)
Air Force 11-26-1, Third Season
Overall Same
Earle Davidson (Vanderbilt, 1989)
Belmont 69-134-13, 13th Season
Overall Same
Dennis Currier (So. Miss., 1991)
Dayton 42-23-15, 5th Season
Overall 230-72-27, 17th Season
Falcons Play Home Opener on Friday
The Air Force Falcons play their first home games of the 2009 season this weekend by hosting Belmont on Friday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m., and Dayton on Sunday, Sept. 13 at noon. Air Force is 1-1 this season, while Belmont is 0-2 and Dayton is 0-1-1 entering its game Friday night at Denver.
Falcons Split to Open Season
The Falcons opened their 2009 season last weekend by splitting a pair of games at the NIKE/Aaron Olitsky Memorial Soccer Classic in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. The Falcons opened the tournament with a 1-0 loss to host College of Charleston on Friday, despite seven saves from senior goalie Jim Gullo. The Falcons were outshot 15-4 by the Cougars.
Air Force rebounded nicely with a 2-1 victory on Sunday over Furman. Gullo made five saves, including a penalty kick, while seniors Josh Rhynard and Aaron Eshkenazi scored for the Falcons.
Gullo, Rosser Named All-Tourney
Gullo and fellow senior Kevin Rosser were named to the all-tournament team last weekend. Gullo, from River Forest, Ill., made 12 saves in the Falcons' two games and allowed just two goals. Rosser, meanwhile, assisted on Aaron Eshkenazi's goal on Sunday against Furman and was a force in the midfield throughout the tournament.
Eshkenazi Nets First Career Goal
Senior Aaron Eshkenazi's game-winning goal on Sunday against Furman was the first goal of his collegiate career. It was a header in the 37th minute off a corner kick by Rosser and came in Eshkenazi's 38th career game. Eshkenazi, an honorable mention all-conference selection last season, played all 180 minutes in AFA's two games last weekend.
Last Weekend's Recaps
College of Charleston 1, Air Force 0
Sept. 4, 2009 @ Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
A late, first half goal by Zach Prince was the difference Friday night as the College of Charleston men's soccer team knocked off Air Force, 1-0, in the Falcons' season-opener at the 2009 NIKE/Aaron Olitsky Memorial Soccer Classic in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. With the win, Charleston improved to 2-0 on the year, while Air Force is 0-1. In the day's first game, Old Dominion defeated Furman 2-1.
In the first half, the Cougars held a 5-3 edge in shots taken, as both team had several opportunities to score. Charleston finally snuck a goal past Air Force goalie Jim Gullo in the 40th minute, as Prince scored from just inside the box. Matt Morris recorded an assist on the play.
In the second half, the Cougars took 10 shots, but were denied again and again by Gullo, who made five saves in the period and seven for the game. The Cougars, however, were almost as strong on the defensive end, as they held the Falcons to just one shot the entire half.
For the night, the Cougars outshot the Falcons 15-4 in total shots and 8-1 in shots on goal. Charleston goalie Clark Hankins earned the shutout after making a save on Air Force's only shot of the second half.
In the day's first game, two goals via penalty kicks by Nane Joseph proved to be the difference in the Old Dominion win. Fabien Vorbe tallied Furman's lone goal of the match. Old Dominion improved to 2-0 with the win, while Furman fell to 1-1.
Air Force 2, Furman 1
Sept. 6, 2009 @ Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
Seniors Aaron Eshkenazi and Josh Rhynard scored and fellow senior Jim Gullo made five saves, including one on a penalty kick, to lift Air Force past Furman, 2-1, Sunday on the final day of the 2009 NIKE/Aaron Olitsky Memorial Soccer Classic in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. With the victory, the Falcons evened their record at 1-1, while Furman fell to 1-2.
Rhynard, who did not score a goal last year after notching six his first two seasons, opened the scoring with AFA's first goal of the '09 campaign just 9 minutes, 23 seconds into the game. He placed a shot past Furman goalie Maros Valko after Valko saved a shot by Air Force junior Kyle Moses, who recorded his first point since his freshman campaign.
In the 37th minute, Eshkenazi put the Falcons up 2-0 with his first career goal. Senior Kevin Rosser sent a corner kick into the box and Eshkenazi sailed above everyone and put a header past Valko. Rosser recorded his eighth career assist on the play.
Gullo kept the Paladins at bay for the majority of the game, including a big save on a penalty kick by Furman's Eric Cobleigh in the 59th minute after Falcon freshman Alek Uransel was called for a hand-ball in the box. Furman closed the gap to 2-1 just four minutes later on a goal by Cobleigh, but Gullo made four saves in the final 28 minutes to seal the victory.
Gullo earned a spot on the all-tournament team, as did fellow senior Kevin Rosser.
