After a highly contested loss to No. 19 Duke in double overtime, the No. 16 Virginia men's soccer team seeks its first home win of the 2009 season as it takes on Mount St. Mary's in non-conference action Tuesday night.
The Mount (1-3) enters the matchup coming off three straight defeats and will be desperate for a win. For the Cavaliers, the mid-week test presents the perfect opportunity to regain their footing after a demoralizing loss at home in front of a season-high crowd of 4,692.
"Duke [was] hard to play against," coach George Gelnovatch said. "They're athletic, they're big, they're strong, they closed us down really well. I think they caused us a lot of problems during the game."
Despite taking 14 shots to Duke's eight and controlling the time of possession, the Cavaliers never found the back of the net against the Blue Devils.
The Blue Devils, meanwhile, made the most of their best offensive opportunity of the game. Capitalizing on a disarrayed three-shot assault on Virginia junior goalkeeper Diego Restrepo, Duke scored the winning goal early in the second overtime to hand the Cavaliers their first loss of the season and an 0-1 record to start their conference schedule.
"We had them in their half most of the time," Gelnovatch said. "I think that last [goal] was their best chance of the game."
The shot was initially deflected by a Virginia defender, set back into motion, shot and saved. Duke sophomore midfielder Daniel Tweed-Kent pounced on the rebound off the second save, however, and quickly fired to catch Restrepo off guard.
"The performance was one we could definitely improve on," sophomore forward Chris Agorsor said. "We'll go back in training, work hard this week and just get ready for the next game. We can't dwell on this."
St. Mary's most recent loss came against UMBC Saturday in Baltimore, Md, where the Moutaineers fell 2-1. Although the Mountaineers were outshot 15-8 against the Retrievers, they have matched their opponents in goals this season and have outshot their challengers overall, 63-54. Sophomore forward Chris Wheeler and sophomore midfielder Ian Hendrie lead the team with two goals apiece.
Like Duke, Mount St. Mary's has a tendency to produce in the final minutes, which could prove problematic for the Cavaliers if Virginia fails to make the most of its early opportunities. Seven of the Mount's eight goals this season were scored in the second half, and the Cavalier defense must prepare for an offensive assault that most likely will not tire late in the game.
Sophomore midfielder Tony Tchani, a Hermann Trophy candidate, will look to reverse the Cavaliers' recent late-game misfortune. Tchani leads Virginia with two goals this season, while senior midfielder Neil Barlow, freshman forward Will Bates and sophomore defender Greg Monaco also have found the back of the net thus far.
Virginia will be only the second nationally ranked team Mount St. Mary's has played this season. The teams' last meeting came in 2007 - a 3-0 Virginia win in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers also lead the all-time series with The Mount, 6-0.
Virginia will return to its grueling conference schedule Friday, hitting the road to face No. 1 Wake Forest in Winston Salem, N.C.
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