The result, at times Friday, felt decided, like one team had established a chokehold. But things just kept teetering, back and forth. The pendulum ultimately refused to fall in either direction, as Virginia and Wake Forest battled to a 1-1 tie at Spry Stadium that satisfied neither.
The Cavaliers (2-2-2, 0-1-1 ACC) appeared primed in the first half to demolish the Demon Deacons (2-2-2, 0-0-1 ACC), commanding possession early. It took less than six minutes for the control to yield a goal.
The ball pinged around the penalty area’s outskirts for a moment before fifth-year midfielder Daniel Mangarov nudged it wide. Senior defender Paul Wiese, eschewing a first touch, drove it across the face of goal. Junior forward Reese Miller tucked it home at the back post.
It looked so simple in the end. But, then again, it always looks so simple for Miller, a man bestowed with the unteachable power of nonchalance.
“We had a really good start, scoring the goal and putting a lot of pressure on them,” Coach George Gelnovatch said. “I look at that whole half as very positive.”
The assist marked Wiese’s third of the season, a team-high. It marked Miller’s third goal of the season, also a team-high.
The ensuing euphoria lasted a while as Virginia persisted in controlling possession and generating chances. Then, in a sinking instant, it evaporated — Miller collapsed with a knee injury.
He had been trying to change direction as he tracked the movement of the ball. The referee dallied only a second before forcefully waving medical staff onto the field. Junior midfielder Albin Gashi briefly placed his hands on his head. Gelnovatch slowly followed the trainers onto the field, wearing an even stonier look than usual.
Miller leaned on a trainer and a teammate as he hobbled off, hardly putting pressure on the knee. It was a frightening sight, sudden and disheartening. The program provided no update in its postgame release.
The game, though, continued, and less than 10 minutes later, junior forward Drew Serafino, a Boston College transfer, got yanked down in the penalty area as he forayed toward the goal. The penalty whistle came immediately. There was now chance for the Cavaliers to separate toward the end of the half.
Up stepped junior defender Nick Dang, who scored an incisive penalty against Maryland earlier this season. He went the same direction as against Maryland, and perhaps Wake Forest senior goalkeeper Trace Alphin had studied the previous shot. Alphin leaped off his line and blocked it.
“Trace made a big save,” Wake Forest Coach Bobby Muuss said. “I think that was a big momentum boost.”
The Demon Deacons continued on to ride a wave of second-half momentum, a crashing, roaring one. They dominated possession and fired shot after shot. Virginia had permitted five shots on goal in its first five games — it allowed seven Friday.
The breakthrough arrived after 69 minutes. Wake Forest junior midfielder Cooper Flax whipped a free kick over the wall, sending it curling toward the post. Senior goalkeeper Joey Batrouni scrambled sideways and launched himself. But the ball struck the inside of the post and went in.
“A world-class free kick,” Gelnovatch said.
Wake supporters punched the sky. Flax streamed away to the corner flag. It was the equalizer the run of play had demanded.
“We defended for long stretches in the second half,” Gelnovatch said. “A bit more than I wanted to.”
Virginia failed to even register a shot in the second half. So perhaps it felt lucky to escape with the draw, even after a first half where it looked like it might grab a two or three-goal advantage. Batrouni and his five saves played a big role in securing the point away from home.
The Cavaliers wanted more from the game. They have struggled to find firm footing in the season’s early stages, and, reeling from a disappointing performance against Duke, they sorely needed three points.
“It’s not the end of the world,” Gelnovatch said. “We’ll keep getting better and be ready for the next one.”
The outlook still looks promising. The overarching feeling remains of a team with all the pieces waiting for everything to click. But the season is now firmly in its middle portion, its second act. The results cannot wait long.
A good opportunity for a victory will come Saturday. California dwells in the ACC’s dungeon, a burgeoning program but one clearly at the conference’s bottom. The trip to Berkeley, Calif. could not come at a better time for a team gasping for results. The game will kick off at 7 p.m. and air on ACC Network Extra.
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