In a rare defeat at Klöckner Stadium Saturday, the No. 7 men's soccer team fell to No. 9 Boston College 2-1. The disappointing loss halted the Cavaliers' (8-3-2, 1-2-2 ACC) near-perfect home record that included seven victories and a single tie. Head coach George Gelnovatch was not pleased with the performance, and said the team didn't play its usual game.
"I didn't think we deserved to win," Gelnovatch said. "I told the guys at halftime that if we continue playing like this, we'll lose."
According to Gelnovatch, too many players lacked the intensity and focus to beat a solid team like Boston College (8-3-1, 5-0-0 ACC).
"I just feel like there was a lack of being into the game," he said.
Boston College remains undefeated in the ACC and one of the top teams in the country.
The Cavalier's only goal came early in the game, but with troubling consequences. In the fourth minute, Cavalier senior midfielder Jeremy Barlow was fouled inside the box and would not return to the game. Junior forward Yannick Reyering converted the penalty kick for his ninth goal of the season, but the loss of Barlow was difficult. About 15 minutes after Reyering's PK, the referee called a foul against the Cavs on their 20 yard line, in what Gelnovatch called a "stupid foul." The free kick resulted in Boston College junior Ryan Sherman slotting the ball over the wall and past sophomore goalkeeper Michael Giallombardo, evening up the match.
Senior center back Zola Short commented that the goal "was a good shot. We had our wall set up right, and he just put it over us. There's not a whole lot we could have done about that except not give up the foul."
Boston College had 18 fouls and three yellow cards, while Virginia came close to evening the number with 15 fouls and one yellow card.
The game was tied at the half but the Eagles quickly found the back of the Cavalier net early in the second half on a corner kick in the 68th minute. Freshman Karl Reddick managed to fight past the Cavalier defense and header the ball past Giallombardo. Both Boston College's goals were off set pieces.
The Cavaliers struggled all game at controlling the ball in the midfield. With the early loss of Jeremy Barlow, Boston College was able to move the ball around the field and get more opportunities to score. Barlow has been a key player in the Cavalier midfield and is proficient at getting the ball to sophomore forward Ross LaBauex and Reyering.
Short said the loss of Barlow "did hurt us a little because he is such a dynamic player." After he left the game, the Cavaliers lost their midfield and tried playing long balls over the top of the Eagles' defense to LaBauex and Reyering, but were unsuccessful. Last year, the Cavaliers managed to defeat Boston College 3-2, on a Jeremy Barlow golden goal in overtime.
"Losing him was tough," Giallombardo said. "But that's no excuse for us to lose this game. We needed to come out better tonight and we didn't, so that is what we have to fix for our game Tuesday."
Gelnovatch said he thought the referee "did a fairly good job," but the consistency of his calls was questioned by the fans throughout the game.
The Cavaliers remain in Charlottesville for three more games, starting with a match against Liberty University Tuesday. Gelnovatch will look to make few changes in strategy against Liberty, as the loss was more one of mental mistakes than tactical ones.
The Cavaliers will look to make improvements against Liberty by putting more pressure on the ball and making fewer mental mistakes. The game is tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Klöckner.
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