UVA Men Shutout Radford, 2-0 in Exhibition

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia men’s soccer team used two second-half goals to down Radford, 2-0, Tuesday evening in exhibition play at Klöckner Stadium. The friendly was the first of two exhibitions for the Cavaliers before their regular-season opener on Aug. 30 against Louisville. 

After a first half which featured just three total shots between the teams, Virginia dominated the second half and out-shot Radford 9-1. Freshman Riggs Lennon (Paradise Valley, Ariz.) and junior Ryan Zinkhan (Fredericksburg, Va.) each scored for the Cavaliers. 

Virginia broke through in the 67th minute. After Nicko Corriveau (Potomac, Md.) lofted a ball into the box, the ball caromed off goalkeeper Sam Legg and Lennon corralled the ball and fired it in from five yards out.

The Cavaliers added a goal in the 85th minute. Lennon fired a corner kick into the box, where Zinkhan put a head on it and put it just inside the far post. 

Sophomore transfer Jeff Gal (Bartlett, Ill.) started in goal for the Cavaliers before giving way to Calle Brown (R-Jr., Leesburg, Va.) and freshman Cole Moffatt (South Pasadena, Calif.) in the second half. 

UVa out-shot Radford, 11-2 and held an 8-3 advantage in corner kicks. 

The Cavaliers travel to Rutgers at 7 p.m. Saturday for their final exhibition.

UVA Men Release Challanging 2013 Schedule

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia men’s soccer team once again will play one of the nation’s toughest schedules in 2013. The 17-match schedule, released Wednesday by head coach George Gelnovatch, features nine opponents that advanced to the 2012 NCAA Tournament, including three that reached the quarterfinals. 

The 2013 slate also includes the ACC’s three newest members, with matches at Syracuse and Notre Dame and a home contest against Pittsburgh, as well as a non-conference matchup with future ACC member Louisville. In addition to Syracuse, Notre Dame and Louisville, 2012 NCAA Tournament participants Boston College, Maryland, North Carolina, St. John’s, VCU and Wake Forest also are part of the UVa schedule.

Former UVA Star, USMNT Player Cladio Reyna named Director of Football for NYCFC

Cladio Reyna is a three-time NCAA Champion and collected over 100 caps for the U.S. Men's National Team. Yesterday MLS expansion club NYCFC announced it had named Reyna Director of Football.

Former UVA standout signs with Seattle Sounders FC in MLS

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Former Virginia men’s soccer standout Will Bates has signed a contract with Seattle Sounders FC, the club announced today. Per Major League Soccer and club policy, terms were not disclosed. 

Bates, 22, was selected by Sounders FC on January 22 with the fifth overall selection in the 2013 MLS Supplemental Draft. He joined Sounders FC training in early February. 

“Will is dangerous in the box and always plays hard,” said Sounders FC Sporting Director Chris Henderson. “He can score with both feet and with his head. He provides us with depth at forward and we are excited to have him in Seattle.”

Former UVA Goalkeeper, National Champ Diego Restrepo signs with Rowdies

Former University of Virginia goalkeeper Diego Restrepo has signed with the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the NASL. Restrepo helped Virginia to a National Championship in 2009. Congrats to Diego.

Official Rowdies Player Announcement: click here

UVA announce 2013-14 recruiting class, rated fifth nationally

Class rated fifth nationally by Top Drawer Soccer

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia men’s soccer program announced today its 2013-14 recruiting class. Ranked fifth-best nationally by Top Drawer Soccer, the standout class includes three of the top 15-rated recruits in the country, including two of the top five. 

The 2013-14 class includes:

Paolo Aguilar (Guatemala City, Guatemala/The Pendleton School)

Jordan Allen (Rochester, N.Y./Aquinas)

Nicko Corriveau (Potomac, Md./Gonzaga)

Luc Fatton (Charlottesville, Va./Albemarle)

Patrick Foss (South Riding, Va./U.S. Soccer Residency)

Hayes Fountain (Charlottesville, Va./Western Albemarle)

Riggs Lennon (Phoenix, Ariz./Brophy Prep)

Cole Moffatt (South Pasadena, Calif./Loyola)

Wesley Suggs (Hyattsville, Md./DeMatha Catholic)

Sheldon Sullivan (Stafford, Va./North Stafford)

Will Bates of UVA Selected by Seattle in MLS Supplemental Draft

Former University of Virginia men's soccer standout, Will Bates, was selected with the number five pick in today's MLS Supplemental Draft.

In his four year collegiate career, Bates scored 46 goals ranking him 7th all-time at the University of Virgina.

UVA Men Eliminated from NCAA Tournament

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Virginia men’s soccer team saw its season come to a close with a 3-1 defeat to 13th-seeded New Mexico Sunday evening in a second-round NCAA tournament match at the UNM Sports Complex. Virginia, which wraps its season with a 10-7-4 mark, had its seven-match unbeaten streak snapped, while New Mexico (17-3-1) advances to face fourth-seeded Connecticut next Sunday in Storrs, Conn.

 

“Obviously it’s always tough to end a season,” Virginia head coach George Gelnovatch said. “I’m really proud of them. It’s a young group that handled itself very well in a really tough environment. This is going to be a very good team in the future and playing this team in this environment is going to do us a lot of good.”

 

New Mexico pressured from the start and struck quickly with a goal in the fifth minute. Following a Michael Calderon corner kick, Kyle Venter charged in and headed the ball in from just outside the near post for the score.

 

UNM dominated possession in the first half and owned a 14-4 shots edge in the half, although the Cavaliers seemed to gather themselves and find their footing as the half neared its conclusion.

 

The Cavaliers came out as the aggressors in the second half. UVa took consecutive corner kicks; the second was deflected back out where Scott Thomsen (Fr., Brick, N.J.) served it back into the box, where a charging Matt Brown (So., Charlotte, N.C.) put a head on it and found the back of the net. It marked Brown’s first career score, while Thomsen was credited with his team-high eighth assist of the year.

 

New Mexico took the lead back in the 61st minute on a counter when Calderon quickly drove down the field to the top of the box, where he a slid a through ball toward the far post to James Rogers, who then flipped a shot inside the other post for the score.

“Our response in the first five minutes of the first half was fantastic,” Gelnovatch said. “If it wasn’t for a slip-up on a counter, this game would have gone down the stretch 1-1 and we would have been in a great position.”

Virginia brought in midfielder Brian James (Fr., Sunrise, Fla.) for Brown in the 81st minute to add to the Cavaliers’ forward push, but Virginia could not find the equalizer, and Calderon added an insurance goal with just 19 seconds remaining on a breakaway off a counter.

 

The chippy game featured 38 fouls (19 on each team) as well as five yellow cards. UNM out-shot the Cavaliers, 20-11, with UVa holding a 7-6 edge in the second half.

Virginia goalkeeper Spencer LaCivita (So., Raleigh, N.C.) made four saves, while UNM keeper Patrick Poblete was credited with one save.

 

Virginia had just one senior in the starting lineup – two-time All-ACC forward Will Bates (Chester, Va.), who finished with a team-high 12 goals this year. The Cavaliers started six freshmen as well as four sophomores, all of whom will be back for 2013.

Game Notes

• Virginia played in its 32nd-consecutive NCAA tournament, dating to 1981 – the longest active streak in the nation. UVa has an all-time record of 53-28-4 in the NCAA tournament.

• Virginia has a 2-7 record in true road matches in the NCAA tournament; the Cavaliers played their first true road game in the NCAA tournament since a 1-0 second-round loss at West Virginia on Nov. 28, 2007.

• UVa and UNM met for the second time; the teams played to a 1-1 draw on Nov. 27, 2004, in the third round of the NCAA tournament in Charlottesville, with UVa advancing 6-5 on PKs.

• Thomsen’s eight assists are the most by a Cavalier since Nico Colaluca recorded 10 in 2006.

• Will Bates finished his UVa career with 46 career goals (seventh in program history), 102 points (ninth in school history) and 15 game-winning goals (third in school history).

UVA Men Top Wake Forest, Advance to ACC Semis

Virginia Men's Soccer Tops Wake Forest in PKs, Advances to ACC Semifinals 

Cavaliers and Demon Deacons play to 2-2 draw; UVa wins shootout, 5-3 

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – After playing third-seeded Wake Forest to a 2-2 draw Tuesday night in a quarterfinal match of the ACC Soccer Championship, the sixth-seeded Virginia men’s soccer team advanced to the ACC semifinals after outlasting the Demon Deacons 5-3 in penalty kicks at Spry Stadium. The Cavaliers (9-6-3) eliminated Wake Forest (11-3-5) from the tournament for the fifth straight season.

Virginia advances to play second-seeded North Carolina at 5:30 p.m. Friday at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown, Md. Top-seeded Maryland and fourth-seeded Clemson will play the second game at 8 p.m. Both games will air online via ESPN3. The winners advance to play for the championship at noon Sunday on ESPNU.

UVa dropped a 1-0 decision to North Carolina on Sept. 21 in Chapel Hill.

The Cavaliers and Demon Deacons played 110 minutes of wildly entertaining soccer, with end-to-end action throughout and numerous scoring chances. The sides combined for 44 shots, with each taking 22. The Cavaliers’ shot total was a season high.

“It was two good teams playing some good soccer,” Virginia head coach George Gelnovatch said. “There wasn’t a whole lot of fouling or stupid stuff. We’ve seen each other before and we knew we had to do a little bit better with how well they move the ball, and I thought we did that, in particular after halftime when we made some adjustments. I thought our second half was better than our first.”

The match went down in the books as a draw, but a penalty-kick shootout was used to determine the team which advanced to the semifinals. Both teams connected on their first three shots – UVa’s Will Bates (Sr., Chester, Va.), Grant Silvester (So., Sacramento, Calif.) and Todd Wharton (Fr., Glen Allen, Va.) and Wake Forest’s Danny Wenzel, Michael Gamble and Luca Gimenez. The Cavaliers’ Zach Carroll (Fr., Grand Blanc, Mich.) buried his attempt, but Wake’s Teddy Mullin stuttered before his try and his kick sailed just outside the left post. UVa’s Shane Cooke (R-Jr., Warrenton, Va.) then fired his shot to the back of the net, clinching the PK win.

“Those were nine high-level PKs; (Mullin) just missed his, and that happens,” Gelnovatch said. “The four that Wake hit were very good and the five that we hit were good ones as well.”

While Virginia controlled the run of play for the majority of the initial 20 minutes of the match, Wake Forest drew first blood with a goal in the 21st minute as Gamble made a long run down the right flank into the box, took a great cross from Sean Okoli and tapped it to the far corner of the net for the goal. 

UVa knotted the score in the 32nd minute. Scott Thomsen (Fr., Brick, N.J.) lofted a long free kick from near midfield, and after the ball caromed around in traffic inside the box, Carroll corralled it and banged the shot home to the far corner for his fourth goal.

Wake took the early lead in the second half when Chris Duvall sent a cross from just outside the box to the far post, where Okoli headed it in for his 11th score of the year. The goal came just over five minutes into the half.

The Cavaliers again tied the score in the 55th minute when Marcus Salandy-Defour (Fr., Kensington, Md.) took a pass just outside the box and delivered it to Eric Bird (So., Virginia Beach, Va.), who one-timed it just inside the right post. The goal was Bird’s second of the season.

After a corner kick and scrum in the box in the 83rd, Wake clanged a shot off the post. The Cavaliers had a flurry with just under 70 seconds remaining in regulation, as Bird’s shot in traffic from 12 yards was deflected by Wake keeper Andrew Harris, and Carroll’s rebound shot in the box was deflected away by the Wake Forest defense. UVa out-shot Wake, 15-9, in the second half.

Wake Forest took the only two shots of the first overtime period as well as the only two of the second overtime. 

UVa goalkeeper Spencer LaCivita (So., Raleigh, N.C.) made three saves, while Harris was credited with five saves for the Demon Deacons. 

Virginia took eight corner kicks (five in the first half), while Wake Forest took seven corners. Both teams were called for a dozen fouls. 

UVA Men Beat NC State, 2-1

RALEIGH, N.C. – Darius Madison (Fr., Philadelphia, Pa.) scored the golden goal with just under seven minutes left in double overtime to lift the Virginia men’s soccer team to a 2-1 win at NC State Thursday evening in the teams’ regular-season finale at Dail Soccer Field. Will Bates (Sr., Chester, Va.) also scored on a penalty kick as the Cavaliers rallied from a 1-0 first-half deficit.

“We had a little bit of a slow start in the first half,” Virginia head coach George Gelnovatch said. “Obviously you don’t want to get scored on, but the response of this team when they got down was outstanding. That was evident in the second half when we took control of the game. As soon as we got the first goal, I felt like it was only a matter of time until we got our second goal.”

Virginia (9-6-2, 3-4-1 ACC) will be the No. 6 seed in the upcoming ACC tournament and will travel to No. 3 seed Wake Forest for a 7 p.m. Tuesday quarterfinal match. The ACC semifinals and championship will be played Nov. 9 and 11 at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown, Md.

The Wolfpack (10-9, 1-7) took the lead in the 35th minute of play. Alex Martinez threaded a ball into the box that Connor Agnew slid to reach, poking it past UVa goalkeeper Spencer LaCivita (So., Raleigh, N.C.) and into net for his third goal of the season.

The Cavaliers drew even in the 69th minute after a NC State handball in the box gave Virginia a penalty kick opportunity. Bates converted the chance from the spot for his team-leading 11th goal of the season and his 45th career score, which is seventh most in program history. With the goal Bates also became the 10th player in UVa history to reach 100 career points (45 goals, 10 assists).

The game winner came with 6:51 remaining in the second overtime. Zach Carroll (Fr., Grand Blanc, Mich.) lofted a long ball from the defensive end which bounced over the Wolfpack defense and gave Madison a one-on-one chance with the keeper. He took a touch and placed a shot inside the far post for his second goal of the season. 

Virginia out-shot NC State, 13-8, and took nine corner kicks to one for the Wolfpack. LaCivita made a pair of saves for UVa, while NC State keeper Fabian Otte made three saves.

VIDEO: UVA Men's Head Coach George Gelnovatch

via virginiaathletics on YouTube:

Virginia men's head coach George Gelnovatch reviews the UVa-Boston College match and looks ahead to the Cavaliers' contest at NC State.

VIDEO: UVA Men's Head Coach George Gelnovatch: 10/25 Update

via virginiaathletics on YouTube:

Virginia head coach George Gelnovatch analyzes his team's previous week and looks ahead to the Cavaliers' match at Boston College.

UVA Men Defeat Wright State, 3-2

Virginia Men’s Soccer Downs Wright State, 3-2

Three Cavaliers score in first half

 

 

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia men’s soccer team scored three goals in the first half to top Wright State, 3-2, Tuesday evening at Klöckner Stadium in the Cavaliers’ final non-conference match of the regular season. Freshman Marcus Salandy-Defour (Kensington, Md.) scored a goal and added an assist as UVa improved to 7-6-1; Wright State fell to 3-9-1.

“We created some chances and scored three great goals in the first half,” Virginia head coach George Gelnovatch said. “We had them on their heels and had a lot of positives in that respect. We got a win, which is the most important piece tonight.”

Wright State got out to a quick start with a goal in the sixth minute. The Raiders forced four consecutive corner kicks and made the final one count when Derek Zuniga’s corner bounded off the head of a UVa defender and into the goal.

Virginia countered with three consecutive scores. The Cavaliers nearly scored in the third minute when Brian James (Fr., Sunrise, Fla.) hit the post with a low shot, but Will Bates (Sr., Chester, Va.) avenged the close call with a goal in the 12th minute. After Scott Thomsen (Fr., Brick, N.J.) tapped a ball through the WSU defense, Salandy-Defour hit a low, short cross across the box and found Bates, who ripped the shot past goalkeeper Craig Feehan. It marked Bates’ team-leading ninth goal of the year and his 43rd career score, as he moved into sole possession of seventh place all-time at UVa.

Salandy-Defour was on the scoring end in the 19th minute. After a long serve down the field by Zach Carroll (Fr., Grand Blanc, Mich.), Salandy-Defour out-ran the Raiders’ defenders, and chipped a one-timer high and over Feehan into the far corner of the net for his first college goal. 

The Cavaliers added the eventual game-winning goal in the 40th minute. Following a Thomsen corner kick, the ball caromed out to the top of the box, where Eric Bird (So., Virginia Beach, Va.) cranked a shot to the upper 90 for his first score of the season. 

The Raiders cut the lead to one shortly before halftime when Greg Marchand headed in Zuniga’s free kick.

After an offensive first half in which UVa out-shot Wright State, 12-9, there were just eight shots taken in the second half. UVa goalkeeper Matt Miscione (R-Jr., Ashburn, Va.) made a terrific save with just over 10 minutes left after a Cavalier defensive breakdown allowed Brett Elder to break loose and unleash a rocket from just outside the box.

In his first career start at Virginia, Miscione made three saves. Feehan made a pair of saves in the first half, while Jacob Bye saved three shots in the second half for Wright State.

UVa out-shot Wright State, 17-12, while both teams amassed five corner kicks. WSU was whistled for 14 fouls, while UVa committed a dozen fouls.

Virginia faces Virginia Tech at 6:30 p.m. Friday in the regular-season home finale. The game will be televised by the ACC’s Regional Sports Networks (Comcast SportsNet in the Virginia area), and the first 3,500 fans in attendance with receive a Virginia Soccer scarf. It also is Cavman’s Crew Day, and the fourth set of trading cards will be handed out.

UVA Men Fall to Wake Forest, 4-1

Virginia Men’s Soccer Falls to Wake Forest, 4-1

Bates scores 42nd career goal in losing effort

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia men’s soccer team lost 4-1 to Wake Forest Friday night in ACC play at Klöckner Stadium. Will Bates (Sr., Chester, Va.) scored the Cavaliers’ goal in the 79th minute.

“Actually we played well, to be honest with you,” Virginia head coach George Gelnovatch said. “I thought the game in long stretches was a very good soccer game. Both teams were moving the ball very well and both teams were going after each other. Wake Forest is a good team and they capitalized on a couple of our mistakes. They capitalized on two of our mistakes and all of a sudden we find ourselves down 3-0, in a game that I thought was pretty even.”

Wake Forest (8-2-4, 2-1-3 ACC) took advantage of a Virginia miscue to grab an early lead just over five minutes into the match. After a UVa turnover deep in its own territory, Wake capitalized when Jared Watts flipped a pass ahead to Sean Okoli, who found himself alone in the box and fired a shot past UVa goalkeeper Spencer LaCivita (So., Raleigh, N.C.).

The Cavaliers held the advantage in shots in the first half (8-5) and put plenty of pressure on the Demon Deacons, but the game turned during a two-minute span in the second half as Wake Forest scored two goals just 1:39 apart to break the game open.

In the 64th minute Luciano Delbono fired a low shot from 25 yards and scored just inside the far post. Michael Gamble then took a great through-ball from Ross Tomaselli and tapped it past LaCivita in the 66th minute.

The Cavaliers got on the board in the 79th minute when Brian James (Fr., Sunrise, Fla.) slipped a pass through the Demon Deacons’ defense and found Bates, who ripped the shot past goalkeeper Michael Lisch for his team-leading eighth score of the year. It marked Bates’ 42nd career goal, and he moved into seventh place on UVa’s all-time goals list.

Virginia pressed forward over the next 10 minutes but could not score. Wake then countered off the pressure and got a Tomaselli breakaway goal with just over a minute remaining to cap the Demon Deacons’ big night.

Both goalkeepers made three saves. UVa held a 16-11 edge in shots and took seven corner kicks, compared to four for Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons committed 13 fouls, while UVa was called for six.

Virginia wraps up its regular-season home schedule next week, battling Wright State at 7 p.m. Tuesday (Oct. 16) before taking on Virginia Tech at 6:30 p.m. Friday (Oct. 19) on Senior Night.

UVA Men Host No. 18 Wake Forest Friday

Virginia Men's Soccer Plays Host to No. 18 Wake Forest Friday Night

Cavaliers battle third straight ranked opponent

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Coming off a thrilling win Tuesday night, the Virginia men’s soccer team returns to ACC play at 7 p.m. Friday when it entertains No. 18 Wake Forest at Klöckner Stadium. The Demon Deacons are the third ranked side the Cavaliers will face in an eight-day span.

Live Coverage 

A live video webcast will be available on VirginiaSports.com through Cavaliers Live (subscription required). Live statistics will be available on VirginiaSports.com.

Records and Rankings

Virginia: 6-5-1 (1-3-0 ACC)

Wake Forest: 7-2-4 (1-1-3 ACC); No. 18 (NSCAA), No. 21 (Soccer America)

Virginia-Wake Forest Series

Virginia owns a 35-8-6 all-time record against Wake Forest. The teams met twice last season and played a pair of high-scoring barnburners.

In the regular season in Winston-Salem, the Demon Deacons scored a 4-3 win to offset a hat trick from UVa’s Will Bates; UVa got revenge with a 4-3 double-OT win in the ACC tournament quarterfinals in Charlottesville.

The teams’ last eight matches all have been determined by one goal or fewer.

Cavaliers Top No. 23 High Point, 2-1

Will Bates scored twice, including the game-winning penalty kick in the 89th minute, to lift Virginia to a 2-1 win over No. 23 High Point Tuesday night and hand the Panthers (10-1-1) their first loss of the season. 

High Point took the early lead in the 10th minute of play, but UVa drew even in the 29th minute on Bates’ first tally of the night. With just 73 seconds remaining to play, a ball into the box bounced and hit the arm of an HPU player, and UVa earned a penalty kick. Bates stepped to the spot and blasted in his seventh goal of the season.

Virginia Bullet Points

• With his two goals Tuesday, Will Bates now is tied with Brian Vernon (1981-84) for eighth in career goals in UVa history with 41.

• UVa is 24-1-1 since 2009 when Bates scores a goal (only loss was last year at Wake Forest, 4-3, when Bates scored a hat trick).

• UVa broke a two-game scoreless drought Tuesday against High Point and scored more than one goal in a game for the first time since Sept. 18.

• Nine of UVa’s 12 matches have been decided by one goal or a tie.

• UVa is 2-3-1 this year vs. ranked teams and 4-4-1 against teams that have been ranked at some point this season. 

• Only five UVa players have started in all 11 matches, while seven have seen playing time in every game.

• Underclassmen have accounted for 80.4 percent of the Cavaliers’ minutes this year.

Scouting Wake Forest

Wake Forest is ranked as high as No. 18 nationally this week. The Demon Deacons settled for a 2-2 draw Tuesday at ETSU after giving up the equalizer with three seconds left in the second half.

Luca Gimenez leads the team with five goals, while Michael Gamble boasts four goals and a team-best four assists.

Up Next

Virginia continues its four-match homestand next week, battling Wright State at 7 p.m. Tuesday (Oct. 16) before taking on Virginia Tech at 6:30 p.m. Friday (Oct. 19) on Senior Night.

UVA Men Defeat No. 23 High Point, 2-1

CHARLOTTESVILLE – Senior forward Will Bates scored twice, including a game-winning penalty kick in the 89th minute, to lift Virginia to a 2-1 win over No. 23 High Point Tuesday night at Klöckner Stadium. The Cavaliers improve to 6-5-1 with the victory, while handing the Panthers (10-1-1) their first loss of the season and snapping their 16-match unbeaten streak. 

“Give a lot of credit to High Point for being undefeated at this point in the season; that isn’t an easy thing to do and they are a very good team,” said head coach George Gelnovatch. “We gifted them a goal early. It was a mistake, but we responded and tied it up later in the first half. In the second half we played a dangerous game with them, because we are good in possession and they are good on the counter. It was a matter of were they going to catch us on a counter or were we going to be able to break them down. We were able to do that late and it won us the game.”

High Point took the early lead in the 10th minute of play. Mamadee Nyepon stole a ball from a defender and set up Shawn Sloan in behind the defense. Sloan took advantage of his one-on-one chance with Cavalier goalkeeper Spencer LaCivita and slotted home his fifth goal of the season.

Virginia drew even in the 29th minute on Bates’ first tally of the night. After Darius Madison was fouled just outside the box, Bates took the ensuing free kick and curled it over the wall and into the net for his sixth goal of the season. The game remained tied 1-1 at intermission. 

The Cavaliers had several quality chances as the second half progressed. Twice on corner kicks, a headed shot was saved off the line by High Point defender Shane Malcolm, one by Matt Brown in the 64th minute and one by Bates in the 88th minute.

With just 73 seconds remaining to play, a ball into the box bounced and hit the arm of Malcolm and was whistled for a penalty kick. Bates stepped to the spot and blasted in his seventh goal of the season and second of the night.

“This was a huge result for us,” said Gelnovatch. “We have played three of our last four on the road against very tough opponents. Winning gives you energy. Playing well and winning against a very good opponent like them will give us a lot of energy and momentum as we continue this homestand.”

Virginia outshot High Point 10-9 and had a 4-3 corner kick edge. LaCivita made two saves for the Cavaliers, while Kody Palmer made two at the other end for the Panthers.

The Cavaliers continue their four-game homestand on Friday as they host No. 15 Wake Forest. Game time at Klöckner Stadium is 7 p.m.

No. 23 UVA Men face High Point Tuesday at Home

Virginia, No. 23 High Point Battle at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Klöckner Stadium

Cavaliers slated to face fifth ranked opponent of season

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia men’s soccer team continues its rugged schedule at 7 p.m. Tuesday when it plays host to 23rd-ranked High Point at Klöckner Stadium. Ranked second nationally in scoring, the Panthers enter the contest unbeaten at 10-0-1.

Live Coverage 

Live statistics will be available at VirginiaSports.com.

Records and Rankings

Virginia: 5-5-1 (1-3-0 ACC)

High Point: 10-0-1 (3-0-1 Big South); No. 23 (NSCAA), No. 25 (Soccer America)

Virginia-High Point Series

Virginia and High Point are meeting for the first time since the 1948 season. High Point owns a 3-0-1 edge in the all-time series with the Cavaliers.

The programs played four times during the 1940s, with High Point scoring a pair of wins in 1941 (9-0, 3-1) and a victory in 1948 (2-0). The teams played to a 3-3 draw in 1942.

Cavaliers Fall 1-0 at No. 1 Maryland

Virginia dropped a 1-0 decision to top-ranked Maryland Friday in front of 4,846 spectators at Ludwig Field in College Park, Md.  Virginia goalkeeper Spencer LaCivita was strong in goal and tied a season best with six saves, including four in the second half.

Maryland scored the match’s lone goal in the 26th minute on a Patrick Mullins goal. UVa limited Maryland, which leads the nation in scoring at 3.3 per game, to its fewest goals in a game this season (High Point ranks second nationally in scoring).

Virginia Bullet Points

• Virginia will play its next four matches at home, then plays at Boston College and NC State to wrap up the regular season.

• Eight of UVa’s 11 matches have been decided by one goal or a tie.

• Virginia’s opponents have combined for a 75-31-15 record (.682) this year.

• UVa is 1-3-1 this year vs. ranked teams and 3-4-1 against teams that have been ranked at some point this season. 

• Only five UVa players have started in all 11 matches, while seven have seen playing time in every game.

• Underclassmen have accounted for 79.6 percent of the Cavaliers’ minutes this year.

• UVa is 23-1-1 since 2009 when Will Bates scores a goal (only loss was last year at Wake Forest, 4-3, when Bates scored hat trick).

Scouting High Point

High Point earned its first-ever national ranking last week after winning its first nine matches. The Panthers are 10-0-1 following a 2-1 win Saturday at Winthrop and rank second nationally in scoring.

Mamadee Nyepon (9) is one of five Panthers with more than three goals this year. The Panthers also are extremely stingy defensively, yielding just five goals in 11 games.

Up Next

Virginia remains at home this weekend, taking on No. 15 Wake Forest at 7 p.m. Friday at Klöckner Stadium in a key ACC tilt.

UVA Men Host Clemson Friday

Virginia Men's Soccer Returns Home at 7 p.m. Friday to Face Clemson

Cavaliers are 1-1 in league play this season

 

 

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Fresh off a thrilling win Tuesday at VCU, the Virginia men’s soccer comes home at Friday to battle the Clemson Tigers in ACC play at Klöckner Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Live Coverage

A live video webcast will be available on VirginiaSports.com through Cavaliers Live (subscription required). Live statistics will be available on VirginiaSports.com.

Tickets

Single-game tickets for Virginia men's soccer currently are on sale through the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office. 

To purchase tickets online, visit VirginiaSports.com/Tickets. In-person purchases can be made at the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office in Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Telephone purchases can be made by calling 1-800-542-UVA1 (8821) or locally at 434-924-UVA1 (8821). 

Records

Virginia: 5-3-1 (ACC: 1-1-0/3 points)

Clemson: 2-5-1 (ACC: 1-1-1/3 points)

Virginia-Clemson Series

Virginia holds a 27-21-5 edge in its series with Clemson. The Cavaliers have won back-to-back matches with Clemson, with both coming on the Tigers’ home pitch. UVa was a 2-0 victor last year.

In its last trip to Virginia in 2009, Clemson pulled out a 1-0 win, one of just three UVa losses during its national championship season. Virginia has won seven of the last 10 matches between the schools.

Tuesday Recap: UVa Upends VCU in Double OT

Cameron Chavira (Jr., Roanoke, Va.) scored his first career goal just over two minutes into double overtime to push the Virginia men’s soccer team to a 1-0 triumph at VCU Tuesday evening in Richmond, Va. Chavira’s golden goal helped Virginia hand VCU (4-1-2) its first loss of the year.

Virginia made its first scoring opportunity in double overtime count when Marcus Douglas (R-So., Washington, D.C.) sliced a cross from the right flank to the middle of the box to find a wide open Chavira, who tapped it home from five yards out for the winning score. 

VCU finished with a 19-15 edge in shots and put seven shots on goal, compared to six for UVa. The Rams took seven corner kicks, while UVa earned three corners. The Cavaliers committed 16 fouls, while VCU was whistled for 15.

Cavalier Quick Hits

• The Cavaliers’ nine opponents thus far have a combined 44-16-11 record.

• Virginia finishes a tough stretch of seven matches in 21 days on Friday; three of the previous six games have gone into overtime. 

• For the fifth straight match, UVa will face a rested team that has had at least six days off coming into its game against the Cavaliers.

• Seven of Virginia’s nine matches have been decided by a single goal or tie.

• UVa crossed the midway point in the regular season on Tuesday.

• Sixteen players saw action on Tuesday as UVa went deep into its bench with four regular contributors out of the lineup.

• Spencer LaCivita recorded his third shutout of the year and 10th career shutout on Tuesday; he now ranks 10th in that category in UVa history.

Noting Clemson

Clemson enters with a 2-5-1 record and is 1-1-1 in the ACC after a 2-1 upset win over then-No. 17 NC State last Friday. Clemson has recorded five goals this year, all from different scorers. Manolo Sanchez leads the team with four points (1g, 2a).

Like Virginia, the Tigers have played an extremely tough schedule this year, inclduing top 25 foes Indiana, Notre Dame, Wake Forest, UAB and NC State.

Up Next

Virginia gets a week off before traveling to College Park, Md., next Friday to take on top-ranked Maryland. The game will be televised by FOX Soccer Channel. 

The Cavaliers then come back to Charlottesville for their final four home regular-season games, beginning Oct. 9 against High Point.

UVA Beats VCU in Double OT, Video: Cameron Chavira Postgame

RICHMOND, Va. – Cameron Chavira (Jr., Roanoke, Va.) scored his first career goal just over two minutes into double overtime to push the Virginia men’s soccer team to a 1-0 triumph at VCU Tuesday evening in front of a record 2,242 spectators at Sports Backers Stadium in Richmond, Va. Chavira’s golden goal helped Virginia (5-3-1) hand VCU (4-1-2) its first loss of the year.
 

 

“I think we’re making progress,” Virginia head coach George Gelnovatch said. “We tied in our last overtime game and this one we one against a very good VCU team which was rested. It was on the road with their biggest crowd in stadium history. It was a very good performance in terms of gutting it out. We’re tired and banged up, and we found a way to get one chance in overtime, and we finished it.”

While neither team registered a strong scoring chance in an uneventful first overtime stanza, Virginia made its first opportunity in double overtime count when Marcus Douglas (R-So., Washington, D.C.) sliced a cross from the right flank to the middle of the box to find a wide open Chavira, who tapped it home from five yards out for the winning score. Douglas was credited with his first assist of 2012 as the Cavaliers earned their first overtime win of the year in four attempts (1-2-1).

VCU controlled the run of play for most of the first half, although UVa got two booming shots from Will Bates (Sr., Chester, Va.), but VCU goalkeeper Andrew Wells made great diving saves on each.

The Rams put five shots on goal in the first half, with Spencer LaCivita (So., Raleigh, N.C.) making four saves. The Cavaliers were credited with a team save in the 31st minute; after LaCivita deflected a Jason Johnson shot, Johnson took the rebound and flicked a shot over LaCivita but Matt Brown (So., Charlotte, N.C.) knocked the ball away in front of the goal line to keep the stalemate intact.

VCU again was thwarted by LaCivita in the 75th minute. Joseph Haboush made a beautiful slip pass into the box to Devon Fisher to create a one-on-one situation, but LaCivita charged forward and made a tremendous sliding save to stuff Fisher. LaCivita also made a diving save on a Mario Herrera Meraz shot in the 67th minute.

LaCivita was credited with seven saves, one off his career best. Wells made five saves for VCU. Bates took a team-high four shots (three on goal) for Virginia, while Fisher racked up six shots for the Rams.

VCU finished with a 19-15 edge in shots and put seven shots on goal, compared to six for UVa. The Rams took seven corner kicks, while UVa earned three corners. The Cavaliers committed 16 fouls, while VCU was whistled for 15.

With three starters out because of injuries, UVa went deep into its bench and played 16 players in the game. Freshman Jordan Poarch (Middletown, Del.) made his first career start; all seven UVa rookies have earned at least one start now this season.

Virginia returns home at 7 p.m. Friday to take on Clemson in an ACC encounter.

 

UVA Men Falls to No. 8 UNC 1-0

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – No. 8 North Carolina scored an early second-half goal and then withstood constant pressure throughout the second half from the Virginia men’s soccer team in posting a 1-0 win over the Cavaliers Friday evening at Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill, N.C. The tightly-contested match was the NSCAA’s National Game of the Week on FOX Soccer Channel. UVa (4-3-1, 1-1 ACC) had its four-match unbeaten streak snapped.

“I’m very proud of the team,” Virginia head coach George Gelnovatch said. “It’s been a long time since we’ve come here and, in my opinion, outplayed our opponent. After the first 25 or 30 minutes of the first half, I thought we started to take the game over, and I thought the second half belonged to us. It doesn’t quite ease the pain of losing, but I think our future is bright. We need to get ready for another tough road game at VCU Tuesday.”

After a scoreless and evenly-played first half, North Carolina (5-1-1, 2-0-1 ACC) struck quickly in the second half when Danny Garcia found Andy Craven streaking down the right flank. Craven then beat UVa goalkeeper Spencer LaCivita (So., Raleigh, N.C.) through the wickets from five yards out for the score.

UVa’s offense pressed forward for most of the second half as the Cavaliers controlled possession and stayed in the UNC side of the field. The Cavaliers out-shot the Tar Heels 6-2 in the second half, while UNC did not attempt a shot in the final 25 minutes. 

“It turned into a possession game for us with good passing and good chances, which is what we work on,” Gelnovatch said. “That’s all you can ask for.”

The momentum ebbed and flowed through the first half. Carolina controlled possession for the first 25 minutes and challenged LaCivita with three shots, two of which were on goal. UVa took its first shot 25 minutes into the game, and the match tide began to turn from there as the Cavaliers countered with pressure for the next 20 minutes heading into intermission. 

One of UVa’s best scoring opportunities came in the 36th minute following a corner kick when Matt Brown (So., Charlotte) had his header saved by UNC goalkeeper Scott Goodwin; Brown got the rebound but his second shot was blocked near the post. UVa then took another corner, and Eric Bird (So., Virginia Beach, Va.) floated a shot from the top of the box which Goodwin made a leaping save to swat away at the crossbar.

LaCivita made three saves – all in the first half – for Virginia. Goodwin made six saves to earn the shutout for UNC. UVa out-shot UNC, 10-6, and both teams took six corner kicks. The match was riddled with 41 fouls – 23 for UNC and 18 for Virginia – as well as five yellow cards.

Virginia travels to Richmond, Va., at 7 p.m. Tuesday to battle VCU at Sports Backer Stadium. The Rams are unbeaten at 4-0-2 and receiving votes in the NSCAA poll.