DelPriore scorches lowly Ryerson with a pair

t takes a little time sometimes.For the Brock Badgers men's soccer team, it took 77 minutes to register their first goal against the Ryerson Rams.

The Badgers were victorious against Ryerson, a noted rival of Brock in the 2-0 victory that took place at Brock on Sept. 18.

Brock was successful against Ryerson last season, defeating them in all three of their match-ups. Conquering them at home 3-1, as visitors 4-0, and removing the Rams from the first round of Ontario University Athletics (OUA) playoffs 2-0.

"I knew Ryerson would come out strong this game. They needed to step up to gain some points," said captain Rafael Moniz.

"It was a tough battle. Ryerson deserves a lot of credit for their play today," said coach Bill Millar. "Even though Brock was triumphant, Ryerson did, for the most part, put up some strong competition.

"In the first half, the poor field condition slowed the game down a lot. The longer grass didn't allow for crisp passes," said Millar. "The team missed some early passes. They also weren't playing with the same passion."

The first half did consist of many chances for the Badgers to score while holding the fighting Rams down. However, a first half goal was not in the Badgers' fortune.

In the seventh minute, Joey DelPriore had a semi-breakaway and a penetrating shot. This would be the first of many chances for DelPriore.

Moniz made some great crosses, which also allowed for opportunities in the first half to record a goal.

Working together with the other offensive players, great passes and plays were made but no goals resulted.

The Badgers began the second half with fierce determination. They came out stronger and stepped up the pressure, keeping the play in Ryerson's end for the majority of the half.

Within the first eight minutes of play in the second half, the Badgers rang in five great chances on goal.

Brock did well in controlling the tempo of the game, winning goal kicks, and throw-ins.

In a few brief moments during the entire second half, Brock let their guard down allowing the visitors to make some good passes and better opportunities. However, Brock's defensive line continued to hold Ryerson back from any nerve-wracking chances at the net.

"Today we had a strong, solid defence," said Moniz. "They deserve a lot of credit."

Moniz got injured in the 55th minute when he collided with another player and twisted his knee. He watched the rest of the game from the sidelines.

Losing their captain to an injury only served to light a fire under the Badgers in the second half. Their increasing pressure led to chance after chance at the net.

It took until the 77th minute for Brock to finally get their well-deserved goal. A great cross allowed for DelPriore to head in Brock's first goal of the game.

The increase of pressure saw three more chances within the next seven minutes of playing time.

When Ryerson was granted an opportunity after a tripping call, the team lined up a chance with a direct kick. However, Brock was still first to the ball, denying Ryerson the shot. Brock's defensive line kept up their play to fight off Ryerson.

Brock's hard-fought demeanour and endless opportunities never ceased, right up until the final minutes of the game. Forward DelPriore was a perfect example of this with his spellbinding second goal of the game.

"I chased down the rebound and tipped it over the Ryerson defence to get a shot on net," said DelPriore.

The half volley over the stunned defender and the ringing shot into the top of the goal brought the home crowd to their feet, and began a wild celebration on the field. DelPriore's memorable goal was enough to seal the deal for the Badgers.

The game ended with Brock still having chances at Ryerson's net. The final outcome was a well-deserved, hard-fought 2-0 victory for the Badgers.

It took a little time, but with determination and discipline, the Badgers took a little time out of Ryerson's day.

The team will now face York (2-1-1) at 1 p.m. on Sept. 25 and U of T (1-1-1) at 1 p.m. on Sept. 26. Both games are slated for home.