BRONX — A key starter in Dayton’s back line, sophomore defender Dren Dobruna showed off his versatility with a strong offensive performance in the Atlantic 10 Championship Semifinals on Wednesday. Dobruna assisted on Dayton’s first goal before scoring the game-winner, fueling the No. 3 seed Flyers to a 2-1 victory over No. 2 Fordham.
The defending A-10 Champion, Dayton (8-2-7) advanced to the championship final with the victory, where their opponent and destination will be determined based on the result of Wednesday evening’s Saint Louis-Davidson matchup.
Dayton struck first, scoring the game’s opening goal on a successful set piece. Dobruna contributed the assist on a corner kick cross, finding Martin Bakken for the header to push the Flyers in front, 1-0.
Dayton goalkeeper Gavin Krenecki kept Fordham off the board in the first half, making several diving saves. Fordham continued to apply pressure on the offensive end, getting very close to an equalizing goal at multiple points, including one shot that hit the left post.
Fordham continued its attack in the second half, finally breaking through in the 74th minute. A-10 Rookie of the Year Daniel Lang gathered a loose ball near the edge of the penalty box, firing a laser into the top right corner of the goal to tie the game 1-1.
The sequence gave Fordham the momentum swing, but only for a brief moment. Within four minutes of the equalizer, Dobruna put the Flyers back in front with a low, bouncing shot into the back of the net.
Krenecki and the Dayton defense closed things out from there. Fordham junior Kamran Mojabi attempted the Rams’ final shot of the afternoon, stopped by Krenecki as the Flyers sealed their third consecutive appearance in the A-10 Men’s Soccer Championship final.
Dayton outshot Fordham 18-14, getting nine shots on goal to Fordham’s six. The Rams tallied seven corners while holding Dayton to six.
Krenecki finished the game with five saves, while Fordham goalkeeper Tristan Stephani logged six stops.