Playing at home against a team with only two wins on the season, the Virginia men's soccer team was supposed to cruise against lowly Howard last night. The Cavaliers dominated the Bison from start to finish, outshooting them 30-2, but could not find the net until the 63rd minute, winning by a 2-0 score which could have been far more lopsided.
During the opening 45 minutes of play, the teams played to a stalemate despite the Cavaliers' large advantage in time of possession. Virginia (9-5-0) frequently held the ball deep in Howard's end but struggled to create enough quality chances to break the tie. The Cavaliers targeted junior forward Will Bates early and often in an effort to give their top goal scorer as many touches as possible.
"I'm always an outlet," Bates said. "That's kind of my role on the team ... [My teammates] definitely look for me, and I can change a game with good open runs."
Bates entered the game with 13 goals - second in the ACC scoring race - and was constantly hounded by Howard's defense, which was intent on preventing Bates from adding to his total. The Bison (2-9-2) found early success employing an offsides trap on numerous occasions and drawing Virginia's forwards out of position. The trend started after the sixth minute when Bates seemingly put Virginia ahead 1-0, but the lineman waved off the tally, signaling for the first of three offsides calls against the Cavaliers.
"Coming out of the first half without a goal was disappointing," coach George Gelnovatch said. "The key was not getting frustrated and that's what we talked about at halftime: 'Keep doing what you're doing, and start off with great tempo.' I think that's what we did."
Initially, Howard's bend-but-don't-break strategy worked well as it effectively collapsed on attackers to force the Cavaliers into difficult shots. During the 16th minute, freshman midfielder Calvin Rezende missed wide on what would have been a highlight-worthy goal. Rezende launched an arcing shot toward the far post from the top of the penalty box on the left side, but the ball spun harmlessly past the post for a goal kick.
The Cavaliers eventually broke through 62 minutes in when senior defender Hunter Jumper struck from 25 yards out on a scorching free kick to the far post. Jumper netted his first goal of the year on a left-footed shot which he said was actually aimed toward the box for a cross.
Instead, the ball carried in the wind and went directly into the net, fitting just under the crossbar and past the outstretched hand of Howard's freshman goalie Eric Hamilton.
"Coach told me to aim for the back post," Jumper explained. "If it goes to high, I can at least put it on target, and it happened to go in. It was definitely a cross."
Along with Bates, Jumper found himself constantly involved thanks in large part to his duty on corner kicks. Jumper took all 10 of Virginia's corners and the savvy senior also got involved in the run of play as he crept forward from his left back position to help out on offense.
"I try to get forward as much as possible," he said. "I played offense my whole life so I try to bring a different aspect to the game than most defenders. Hopefully that separates me and helps the team out."
After taking a patient defensive approach until Virginia's goal, Howard became unnerved and opened itself up to more defensive breakdowns. On the ensuing play after the goal, sophomore forward Brian Span streaked past a Bison defender and nearly earned a penalty kick as the beaten defender tugged on Span's jersey in a desperate attempt to slow him down. Bates, though, could not convert the chance and the referee allowed play to continue.
Bates was awarded another penalty kick in the 71st minute, however, and did not waste this opportunity. With his back to the goal, Bates was shoved to the ground from behind and took the penalty kick, beating Hamilton with a low drive to the goalie's right. Hamilton nearly denied the shot but was a split second too late.
With the Cavaliers comfortably ahead and moving the ball around Howard's half of the field at will, Gelnovatch turned to his bench to finish off the remaining 20 minutes. Three substitutes saw action, including senior forward Brian Ownby, who is returning to form after missing time with an injury earlier in the season. Ownby - less than a year removed from being selected All-ACC - has now played in 11 games but has started only six of them.
When freshman midfielder Kyle McCord replaced Bates during the 74th minute, the 960 fans in attendance gave their star a standing ovation.
"Everybody was into it," Gelnovatch said. "Everybody moved the ball around well. The only way I could be happier is if we had a couple more goals"
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