After over three months of strenuous practices, clutch performances and bonding together as a unit to emerge as a Cinderella team in the NCAA tournament, the University of Virginia men's soccer team ended its season Sunday afternoon at Klöckner Stadium, falling to Creighton, 3-1, in the third round of NCAA action.
Although they were underdogs in most of their postseason matches, the Cavaliers (11-10-2) exceeded expectations and dominated the ACC tournament en route to a conference title. They continued their quest in the NCAA tournament, defeating Seton Hall and Wake Forest in the first and second rounds.
Virginia had the momentum heading into Sunday's contest. Unfortunately they were also plagued by their own young and tired bodies, allowing three goals in the game's final 16 minutes.
"We just ran out of gas today," coach George Gelnovatch said. "I think right from the start I could see that we didn't have the juice that we've had. And it's understandable, given the ACC tournament, the game here, the game Wednesday and being young."
This season's squad was unmistakably young. Eight of the 15 players who saw action in Sunday's game were freshmen, and three more were sophomores. One of those freshmen, Virginia's leading scorer Adam Cristman, broke a scoreless tie early in the second period against Creighton for his eighth goal of the season.
Sophomore midfielder Joe Vide gathered the ball in the backfield and made a long pass upfield to Cristman, who avoided an offsides call and controlled the ball past a Creighton defenseman. Bluejays goalkeeper Andrew Brown strayed out of the goal box to defend Cristman one-on-one, but Cristman maneuvered around him and converted on a one-timer into the open net to give the Cavaliers a 1-0 lead.
Virginia held onto the lead until the 74:42 mark, when Creighton forward Damien Westfield headed a cross into the box past Cavalier goalkeeper Ryan Burke. Westfield struck again exactly two minutes later, beating Burke on a strike from eight yards out.
The Bluejays blew the game open, 3-1, with just under five minutes remaining on a shot in the box by sophomore defender Jered Turner.
"I think what happened in the last 15 minutes [of the game] was the same as what happened in the first 75," Burke said. "I think when they got their chances in the last 15 they finished them, whereas in the first 75 they had those chances, but they just didn't finish them."
With the win, Creighton took the lead in the all-time series against Virginia in men's soccer, 2-1-1. Their other victory, a 3-0 shutout, came in Charlottesville in the quarterfinals of the 2000 NCAA tournament.
Despite a disappointing finish, the Cavaliers are proud of their performance this season.
"I don't think anyone is overly distraught over the loss because we did win a championship," Burke said. "We had a good run through the playoffs, and we worked through adversity. We turned a season that was supposed to be a down season into a positive" one.
None of Virginia's players on the current team graduate this year. The names on next year's roster will be the same, but with one major difference: The freshmen who helped lead the team this year will no longer be rookies. Gelnovatch and his players are confident that the experience they gained this year will lead to great play in the next few seasons.
"I didn't have to say goodbye to anyone in the locker room," Gelnovatch said. "Everyone's coming back. The future is bright."
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