VCU Picks Up Key Road Win at St. Bonaventure, 2-1

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VCU Falls at Duquesne in Regular Season Finale, 3-0


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Former Ram Jason Johnson
to Join Jamaican National Team for Pair of Friendlies


RICHMOND, Va. – Former VCU Men's Soccer standout Jason Johnson will be one of the Reggae Boyz again. The striker, who played at VCU from 2010-12, has been invited to play for the Jamaican National Team for a pair of exhibition matches against Trinidad and Tobago. The friendlies will take place Nov. 15 and Nov. 19 in a home-and-home series.

Johnson has made one career appearance with the Jamaican National Team in 2010, against Argentina. Should he play, the games against Trinidad and Tobago will account for his second and third appearances.

Johnson was the 13th overall selection by the Houston Dynamo in January's MLS SuperDraft. The Dynamo are currently playing in the Eastern Conference Finals of the MLS playoffs, and play the second leg of a series with Sporting Kansas City on Nov. 23 in Kansas City.

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RICHMOND, Va. – Eight VCU Men's Soccer student-athletes received postseason Atlantic 10 honors Wednesday on the eve of the conference tournament in Dayton, Ohio.

Three Rams earned first team recognition, including senior midfielder Romena Bowie, junior forward Kharlton Belmar and sophomore defender Dennis Castillo. In addition, sophomore forward Devon Fisher and junior defender Juan Monge Solano were each named to the league's second team, while freshmen Dakota Barnathan and Rahim Costa-Dorsey earned an all-rookie citation. Senior goalkeeper Andrew Wells was also recognized as part of the all-academic squad.

"Congratulations to the eight players honored by the A-10 for their performances this season," said VCU Head Coach Dave Giffard. "As in every year, there are players that I feel like were missed, but as coaches I'm sure we all would like to see all of our players honored."

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RAMS WELCOME FOUR NEWCOMERS FOR SPRING SEASON


RICHMOND, Va. – Coming off its second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament and third straight in the NSCAA Top-25, the VCU men's soccer program will be joined by four new faces during its spring season.

Nathan Abraham (Arlington, Va./Yorktown),
Imad Mojaddidi (Fairfax Station, Va./W.T. Woodson),
Brandon Eaton (Chesapeake, Va./Indian River (Virginia Tech)
Kai Marshall (Charlottesville, Va./Albemarle (Virginia Tech)

"There is usually a considerable adjustment period that new players go through when they join us, both from high school as well as transfers. With that in mind, it is usually very helpful for them to get here in January if possible," Head Coach Dave Giffard said. "We're excited to get to work with these four guys over the next few months and think that all four have bright futures here at VCU."

The quartet of student-athletes will look to continue to help build upon VCU's recent success under Giffard and his staff, which includes four straight winning seasons for only the third time in the 36 years of the program, the second highest ranking in school history (8th this past fall), 23 all-conference players and eight players who have signed pro contracts.

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RAMS UNVEIL LOADED 2014 FALL SCHEDULE

RICHMOND, Va. – If last year's loaded VCU men's soccer schedule didn't make it clear that Head Coach Dave Giffard likes to challenge his guys with the best competition, this fall's upcoming schedule will solidify that thought.

Coming off its second straight NCAA Tournament appearance, VCU boasts yet again one of the toughest schedules in the country, facing 10 teams from last year's NCAA Tournament field, including five of the top eight national seeds. The Rams will face off against all four teams that advanced to last year's College Cup, including defending National Champion Notre Dame.

"Last year's schedule was the toughest I have ever faced, and for me, the 2014 schedule is a half step better. Our players and fans can expect that each year we will challenge ourselves against the best competition in college soccer," Giffard said. "We've worked very hard over the last four years to put ourselves in a position where we can realistically challenge for a national title, and competition like this is exactly the type of grind that we need to prepare us for that challenge."

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MEN’S SOCCER FINALIZES 2014 ROSTER WITH THREE ADDITIONAL SIGNEES


RICHMOND, Va. – Competition can bring out the best in athletes. That's exactly what VCU Soccer Head Coach Dave Giffard will be looking for this fall as he adds to his 2014 roster with three additional players.

Pierre Gardan (Lorient, France), Jorge Herranz (Madrid, Spain), and Rafael Andrade Santos (Rio de Janiero, Brazil) will all suit up for the Black & Gold this fall. The three internationals join the 12 recruits Giffard and company announced earlier in the year.

"In addition to the players that we have already announced, this group fills needs that we will have with seven seniors leaving in December, and should make this 2014 group, one of the deepest and most talented in the country," Giffard said.

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PORTLAND, Ore. – With the AT&T MLS All-Star Game slated for this week in Portland, all eyes in American soccer will be tuned into the Pacific Northwest.
That's where three current VCU soccer players will be a part of the first-ever Chipotle MLS Homegrown game on Monday at 10 p.m. EST on ESPN3 and MLSsoccer.com.
Seniors Kharlton Belmar, along with juniors Devon Fisher and Dennis Castillo, will suit up with the Portland Timbers U-23 squad against the top 20 MLS Homegrown players.

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