Behind a clean sheet from Camryn Miller and a brace from Olivia Woodson, the Richmond Ivy soared past USL W League opponent, Virginia Atlantic FC, 5-0, at home.
The Ivy hit the City Stadium pitch running. In the second minute, Sarah Rosenbaum sent a long ball to Maci Landel streaking down the right wing. Landel dribbled around a defender and drove toward the baseline. She sent a low cross through the six-yard box, which found Sarah Flammia in the perfect position for the tap-in to take the early lead.
Two minutes later, Rosenbaum won the ball back quickly after a goal kick. She instantly fired a shot that was just inches high on the crossbar.
On the defensive side, Virginia Atlantic attempted to string together an offensive possession in the eighth minute, but Maysen Nelson interrupted the attempt by deflecting a pass.
In the 11th minute, Landel’s relentless pressure on Virginia Atlantic’s backline caused a turnover. Sarah Flammia controlled the ball and sent Landel down the right sideline. Landel attempted to cross the ball in, but it was deflected through the endline for a corner kick.
As the Ivy looked to grow their lead in the 13th minute, Taylor Berry built an attack for Richmond, pushing down the left wing. Berry skipped a short pass back to Molly Flammia, waiting in the top left corner of the 18. Flammia immediately turned on the ball, took two small dribbles, and slotted it right past the outstretched arms of the keeper, into the top right corner of the net.
On a Virginia Atlantic corner kick in the 39th minute, the ball found its way through the Ivy defense, but Camryn Miller was able to make the leaping save to keep Virginia Atlantic off the board.
Stemming from a corner kick, Virginia Atlantic was able to put a shot on frame, but Alexis Pierce, who was positioned on the goal line, made a clean defensive effort to stop the shot in the 43rd minute.
As the first half came to a close, Rosenbaum stayed on the attack, finding Landel on the right wing again. After dribbling into the box, Landel fired a shot on goal, but the goalkeeper was just barely able to knock it off line.
Richmond kept their foot on the gas pedal after halftime. In the 50th minute, Sarah Rosenbaum sent a beautiful throughball to Olivia Woodson. Woodson dribbled into the final third and finished the job, slotting a shot right past the diving Virginia Atlantic keeper.
Minutes later, Pierce sent Molly Flammia on a run into the left corner, where Flammia crossed the ball into Rosenbaum, who was able to get a head on it, but sent it a bit high and over the crossbar. Rosenbaum continued to create chances for Richmond as a deep free kick from Iisa Elovaara in the 54th found Rosenbaum, who got her head on the pass again, but it was just outside the left post.
Building a strong wall of defense, Richmond defended a long ball well and forced a far shot off target to maintain the shutout in the 57th minute.
With a 3-0 lead, the Ivy continued to pressure the Virginia Atlantic defense.
In the 63rd minute, Gianna Chrapek found Taylor Berry near the top of the box. Berry made a flawless move to beat a defender and found the back of the net.
In the 85th, Sarah Rosenbaum fed the ball to Bree Fulkerson on the right wing, who made a promising cross into the box, but a slight deflection knocked it off course, resulting in a corner kick. In the next sequence, Fulkerson, positioned on the right sideline, sent an arching cross back into the box, finding Olivia Woodson set up right in front of the goal to tally her second goal of the evening.
The Ivy take the pitch for the final time at City Stadium this season on June 26 for Fan Appreciation Night! Tickets are available now at richmondivy.com/tickets and on Seat Geek!
