In the midst of an unrelenting rainstorm, the soccer teams from the University of Virginia, ranked ninth, and Wake Forest, ranked fifth, met for an ACC Semifinal game at WakeMed Soccer Park on a late November evening. Unfortunately, for the team from Virginia, the night ended in a significant 5-1 defeat at the hands of the squad from Wake Forest.
The scoring started in the 18th minute, with Wake Forest’s Julian Kennedy finding the back of the net, courtesy of an assist from Dylan Borso. This was quickly followed by another goal, off Umar’s boot, again thanks to Kennedy, in the 24th minute. The first half further disadvantaged Virginia when Wake Forest’s Cooper Flax managed to clinch a successful penalty kick in the 29th minute, advancing his team’s lead to 3-0.
Drama unfolded early in the game for Virginia when they had a close call; Danny Mangarov, with a keen eye, spotted an opportunity and sent a soaring cross from midfield to Parker Sloan located on the left side of the penalty area. Sloan managed a header that unfortunately skimmed just wide of the goalpost. With just a quarter of an hour into the game, Virginia found themselves still scoreless but hopeful.
Wake Forest, seemingly undeterred by the poor weather conditions, continued to press hard, forcing Virginia into a defensive stance early on. During the 18th minute, Virginia faced a high-pressure corner kick situation. In an attempt to snuff out the threat, Virginia’s Paul Wiese disrupted the initial deliverance from Flax but Dylan Borso managed to return the ball into a risky area.
The night’s first goal emerged from this moment of tension. Julian Kennedy, seizing the opportunity, managed to get his head on the soaring ball, guiding it into the back of the net. This brought the score to 1-0 in favor of Wake Forest with less than 20 minutes into the groundbreaking match.
As if a single blow wasn’t enough, another followed swiftly just six minutes later. A confusion in Virginia’s defense saw Wake Forest’s Colin Thomas getting through and releasing a shot that was initially saved by the nimble actions of Virginia’s goalkeeper, Tom Miles. However, Kennedy was quick to reach the loose ball and forwarded to Umar who didn’t miss the chance to augment the lead.
The half-hour mark delivered yet another setback for the Cavaliers. An unfortunate deflection off the hand of Austin Rome led to a penalty kick award for Wake Forest. This opportunity was successfully claimed by Flax, his first goal of the evening, making it a disheartening 3-0 lead against Virginia.
The barrage from Wake Forest didn’t conclude at the end of the first half. A further goal, merely 10 minutes into the second half, saw Joel Torbic delicately direct an external cross into the bottom corner of the Virginia net, extending the lead of Wake Forest to 4-0.
Despite the challenging outlook, Virginia showcased their indomitable spirit to fight back against the odds. In the 55th minute, Paul Wiese, while navigating along the far touchline, delivered a lengthy cross into the penalty area. Triton Beauvois found his opportunity and, with great skill, scored by way of his right foot, diminishing the deficit to 4-1.
However, Wake Forest didn’t cede their momentum. A second penalty kick was granted for them in the 75th minute, again due to a handball. Flax, repeating his first half success, confidently registered another goal, reinstating the four-goal lead for Wake Forest at 5-1.
The conclude of the game brought a somber air for Virginia. The devastating defeat broke their winning momentum – a streak of three unbroken victories was terminated with this loss, making their recent statistics stand at 8 wins and 2 losses over the last ten matches.
This encounter was of historical significance for Virginia. It marked the first incident in which Virginia conceded as many as five goals in an ACC tournament match. It also marked their toughest loss in history when considering ACC tournament games.
Adding to the unfortunate evening for Virginia was the shot statistics of the match. They found themselves being outshot by Wake Forest – an unsettling margin of 13-8 emphasized Wake Forest’s dominance in terms of match offense.
Further dissecting the match statistics reveals more unmatched numbers. Virginia could only garner a mere two shots on target throughout the match. In contrast, Wake Forest exposed Virginia’s goal to practically thrice the danger with seven on-target attempts.
Despite the poor outcome, and amidst the defensive fractures, Virginia’s goalkeeper, Tom Miles, showed his mettle. Making his second consecutive start, he managed to exhibit commendable saves under indomitable pressure.