The Virginia men’s soccer team returned home to Charlottesville this week after a two-game road trip, where they played in-state rival James Madison and ACC powerhouse No. 21 Wake Forest. After defeating the Dukes (0-4-1, 0-0-1 CAA) 3-1, the Cavaliers (2-1-1, 0-1 ACC) lost to the Demon Deacons (4-1-0, 1-0 ACC) on an overtime goal by a score of 0-1.
“It was a tough game,” sophomore defender Sergi Nus said. “Going there against one of the best teams in the country who plays a particular style of soccer, we learned a lot. We have to learn to take advantage of our chances.”
Virginia went into the Wake Forest matchup carrying an undefeated record in both the preseason and regular season, with wins over Longwood, Liberty, Georgetown, Coastal Carolina and James Madison. Unfortunately, they met their match in the Demon Deacons.
Two minutes into the overtime period, which came after two scoreless halves, senior midfielder Hayden Partain scored his first goal of the season and first ever game-winner to improve Wake Forest to four straight wins.
It was the first time this year the Cavaliers have failed to score in a game, signaling the fact that competition is expected to pick up as the ACC season gets underway. As of this week, the ACC alone has eight of the top 25 teams in the nation, and four of the top six, including No. 2 North Carolina, No. 6 Clemson and No. 1 Notre Dame.
Despite the challenges presented by the Demon Deacons, Nus said he is confident in his team and thinks an early challenge could actually benefit the Cavaliers.
“I wouldn’t say we needed to lose, but we definitely learned a lot playing against Wake in an ACC game — it was difficult,” Nus said. “In the second half we had control, but in the first half we were not that confident. We just have to be more precise in some points of the game. I’m 100 percent sure that this is going to be a successful season.”
Virginia’s next challenge will come Wednesday night against in-state rival Virginia Commonwealth University (1-4, 0-0 A-10). Despite a weak starting record, the Rams will look to exploit the Cavaliers in what has recently become a hotly contested rivalry. The past four games between the two teams have all been decided by one goal, and Virginia coach George Gelnovatch expects another close match.
“VCU, like other in-state schools, is always a tight game,” Gelnovatch said. “They’re a good team and their record may not reflect that, but I think it was the same thing when we played them last year. They’re capable on a given day to do well against anybody. We know them well, and they know us well, but we’re at home, so I hope that gives us a little bit of an edge.”
After returning to Charlottesville, morale among the team is high and the players are looking forward to playing in front of a home crowd once again.
“Playing here in Klöckner is always exciting for both us and the other team,” Nus said. “Virginia is one of the best programs in the country, so VCU will be super excited to play us. And we are too, because every game is important for us. We want to be a championship team, and we play every game as a final.”
As far as preparation goes, Gelnovatch is wary of the Rams but doesn’t feel the need to make major adjustments after Saturday’s loss.
“I think we’ll have our fair share of the ball,” Gelnovatch said. “We just need to understand some of the dynamic of what they present defensively and work through some of that. It’s what we’ve been focusing on, so we’ll see.”
Kickoff for Virginia’s match against VCU is set for 7 p.m. at Klöckner Stadium.
Read More
Virginia adds squash to varsity sports slate
By Rahul Shah | July 6, 2017The men’s and women’s squash programs have been running as club teams since 2001.
Football looks forward to new facilities
By Luke Marston | July 5, 2017Friday, June 9, 2017 the University of Virginia Board of Visitors gave the Cavalier faithful a sign that a winning football program is important to the school.
Looking ahead to the 2017 football season
By Alec Dougherty | July 5, 2017Around this time last year, it was a widely accepted consensus among Virginia football fans that a change was finally coming to their beloved program.
