Is it a record? Maybe not, but it is remarkable nonetheless that the Virginia men's soccer team, still nursing the wounds of an overtime loss at Clemson, could score its first goal within the first 30 seconds of their contest with Liberty. If you asked Virginia Coach George Gelnovatch, however, he would remind you that junior forward Alecko Eskandarian's goal was executed at "25 seconds, to be exact."
While the game got off to a particularly quick start, a stalemate slowed the pace of the entire first half. For over 40 minutes, both teams struggled to gain the upper hand in this virtual deadlock.
Ironically, Virginia would put an end to this tango dance by scoring on its own goal, much to the delight of Liberty's fans. While swift retaliation by senior foward Ryan Gibbs would redeem the dismayed Cavaliers, placing the score at 2-1, a goal by Liberty forward Chase Perry left fans wondering whether the stalemate would in fact resume.
"We were beating ourselves," Eskandarian said. "But we knew we were good enough."
As insurance, however, Eskandarian managed to carry out the tie-breaking goal that perhaps decided the outcome of the game as well. This goal, extraordinary for yet another reason, marked a season total of 17 for Eskandarian.
Although he savors every goal, a humble Eskandarian admitted that this achievement was not in fact something he "goes home and counts."
Gelnovatch praised the effort of his star, calling Eskandarian "probably the best player in college soccer right now, and it might be his best year with the season he's having."
While it was apparent by the middle of the third quarter that the Cavs would walk away with the win, subsequent goals -- one by junior midfielder Ryan Kelly, and one by freshman standout Paul Johnson -- would seal the Flames' fate.
"No matter how many goals they score, we'll score another," Gibbs said.
Drudging through a mediocre season, the win was indeed a turning point for the Cavs (7-5). Tonight at Kl
ckner, Virginia "turned the corner," Gelnovatch said.
The game's first goal, while it did wonders for the team morale so damaged by Sunday's loss, was perhaps a double-edged sword for the Cavs. "The first goal has been our whole season," Gelnovatch said.
Describing the goal's effect on the team as "frantic," Gelnovatch cited this "impatience," as the cause of the first half's deadlock. "Every time we got the ball, we wanted that killer pass," and "it worked against us," Gelnovatch said.
This win perhaps is just the assurance the Cavs will need when they face their ACC rival Duke on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Read More
Football lands three additional transfers
By Peter Kriebel | YesterdayOne common trait that stands out with this most recent batch of transfers is size.
Men’s basketball suffers road drubbing versus California
By Emory Huffman | YesterdayVirginia submitted another rudderless performance.
