Buena Vista, VA - The Southern Virginia University men's soccer team hosted its second straight game at Knights Stadium on Saturday afternoon. They faced Centennial Conference opponent Gettysburg, a team coming off a signature win against #18 nationally ranked Lebanon Valley. Despite many quality scoring chances, neither team found the back of the net, and the Knights earned a hard-fought draw, 0-0.

Southern Virginia goalkeeper Dallin Chappell had to be sharp early on, stopping a couple of shots from high-danger opportunities for the Bullets.  The Knights' offense seemed to become more comfortable as the minutes went by, and in the 35th minute, Ammon Lewis had an opportunity to strike. The senior forward took advantage of a miscue from a Gettysburg defender and nearly had a clear path to the goal but was hauled down from behind before he could shoot. A red card was handed out to the defender, forcing the Bullets to play a man down the rest of the match. The Knights failed to score on the ensuing free-kick but looked to capitalize on the man advantage for the remainder of play.

After a see-saw start to the second half, Southern Virginia had their best chance of the afternoon after a cross into the box from Benjamin Simister. After a ricochet off of a couple of bodies, Shawn Curtis attempted to back-heel the ball into the goal, only to be stopped by a sliding defender. The block deflected towards Devin Hester, who sent a turning shot off the crossbar, sending the ball high into the air. Simister and Curtis looked for a header but were denied before Simister had one more point-blank opportunity and was stopped again by three Bullet defenders who flooded the box. Dallin Chappell, who made seven saves, was tested one last time in the cage during the 88th minute when a Gettysburg forward found himself loose well into the box. Jackson Erb was positioned well to force the attacker into a difficult shot, and Chappell made a low save to lead the Knights to an impressive draw with Gettysburg College.

The Southern Virginia defense shined again, helping to capture a third clean sheet in six games. Ace Flores and Jackson Erb played the full 90 minutes on defense and continued cementing themselves as valuable pieces to the squad in their freshman campaign. 

The Knights move to 4-1-1 on the season and will host another non-conference opponent, Randolph College, at Knights stadium next Wednesday, September 18th, at 7:00 PM. For the most up-to-date information and details on the team, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knightmsoccer on Instagram.