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Men's Soccer settles for tie against rival Hokies

Virginia squanders offensive chances, scores final-minute goal to earn 1-1 draw

Property of the Cavalier Daily,
Property of the Cavalier Daily,

Friday night in Blacksburg, the Virginia men’s soccer team outplayed in-state rival Virginia Tech by most standard metrics. The Cavaliers unleashed a 37-shot flurry while holding the Hokies to just two attempts, and won the corner-kick battle, 13-0.

Virginia, nonetheless, walked off Thompson Field with a 1-1 draw, a result only made possible when junior midfielder Eric Bird scored a game-tying goal with 34 seconds remaining in regulation. The No. 19 Cavaliers (6-3-4, 2-2-4 ACC) extended their undefeated streak to nine games, but failed once more to earn a win against a moderately imposing ACC opponent.

Virginia Tech (3-4-5, 1-2-5 ACC) took the lead in the game’s fourth minute after the Cavalier defense ceded an own-goal. Virginia peppered Hokie senior goalkeeper Kyle Renfro with shot after shot for the next 86 minutes, but failed to score until the final seconds.

Renfro stymied the Cavalier offense by turning back 10 shots, including Bird’s penalty kick in the second overtime period. He was particularly dominant against sophomore midfielder-defender Scott Thomsen, who unleashed five shots on goal, but went home still searching for his first score since the season opener.

The Cavaliers have now settled for ties in each of their past three contests, coming against Virginia Tech, Maryland and Duke, the eighth, third and 10th-place teams, respectively, in the 12-team ACC. Virginia currently sits in sixth place in the conference.

Virginia next travels to South Bend, Ind. to face No. 2 Notre Dame in the first matchup between the teams as ACC adversaries. The currently undefeated Fighting Irish joined the conference this year.

—compiled by Matthew Morris

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