There would be no late-game dramatics this time around, as the No. 1 Virginia men's soccer team suffered their first lost of the season to North Carolina 2-1 Friday night in Raleigh.
Despite a dominating second half by North Carolina, Virginia gave fans hope in the 83rd minute. A throw-in by Matt Williams was headed by sophomore forward Yannick Reyering and a second header by senior forward Adam Cristman resulted in a goal that cut Virginia's deficit to one.
"I was in front of the keeper and just kind of redirected it," Cristman said. "It was my first goal [of the season], and it felt good to kind of break the ice."
The game started out like a boxing match, both teams trying to feel each other out. The result was only three shots between both teams in the opening half.
The Tar Heels kicked into high gear in the second half, though. North Carolina had six shots in a five-minute stretch. Despite some impressive saves by senior goalie Ryan Burke, the onslaught was too much to handle. Tar Heel midfielder Scott Campbell received a good feed from forward Ben Hunter and found the back of the net in the 68th minute.
Seven minutes later, North Carolina was on the attack again. Eddie Abibio knocked in his first goal of the season from a pass by Zach Lloyd. The two goals would prove to be too much for the Cavaliers to overcome.
"By no means am I happy with the loss," Burke said. "But on the other hand, it does take a lot of pressure off of you. You can't expect to go undefeated in the 'Conference of Death.'"
While the game was quite physical on both sides, Virginia was plagued by fouls. Perhaps due to the hostile environment, Virginia ended the game with 26 fouls, compared to only 13 for the Tar Heels.
Yellow cards were also a big factor. Virginia and North Carolina combined for seven yellow cards, including ones for Cavalier stars like Reyering, junior midfielder Nico Colaluca and senior midfielder Ian Holder.
Gelnovatch made several interesting roster moves throughout the game. Cristman, who had yet to score until Friday night, did not start in an ACC game for the first time in over two years.
The coaching staff also put in many players who had little or no playing time so far this season. The large baby blue crowd may have rattled these new faces and led to defensive breakdowns.
"Some of the young guys and starters who weren't starters in the past got a little affected by the crowd, the atmosphere and the opponent," Gelnovatch said. "The result was some performances that weren't as good as they have been."
The Tar Heels came into the game with a chip on their shoulders, and they played like it. The preseason ACC favorites had dropped their first two conferences games and were determined not to let another one slip away at home.
Virginia has little time to mope. The Cavaliers must regroup for a Wednesday contest against the American University Eagles and a huge match against the No. 2 Clemson Tigers this weekend.
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