On opening night in Charlottesville, the second-ranked Virginia men’s soccer team treated the raucous crowd of 4,620 fans to a show, getting on the board early and taming the potent Charlotte attack throughout a heated contest that featured an astounding 29 fouls.
Virginia (1-0-0) took down the 17th-ranked reigning Conference USA champion Charlotte 49ers (0-0-1) 1-0 by way of a 38th-minute flick-on header by junior midfielder Nicko Corriveau. Corriveau — who was tied for second in goals scored for Virginia last season despite missing significant time — looks to build off this performance going forward.
“Huge for us to start off strong,” Corriveau said, “we have a lot of pressure on us, being the defending national champions, so we really want to keep the momentum going and show everyone that last year wasn’t a fluke and we can win again.”
The flick-on was only made possible after a tackle from Charlotte set up senior midfielder Todd Wharton — an all-ACC selection last season — with a free kick from just outside the penalty area.
Wharton’s curling cross, which was played into a dangerous area, found Corriveau amidst the chaos. The Potomac, MD product redirected the ball into the far post, inciting a bleacher-shaking roar from the crowd.
“Great free kick from Todd,” Corriveau said, “I just had to get a slight touch on it to keep it going…but it went in the upper corner so I was pretty happy about that.”
Although Corriveau’s goal was the only one in the first half, it surely was not the only moment of note. In the opening 15 minutes, the two teams combined for eight fouls, amassing ten more over the next 30 minutes and not letting up throughout the second half.
“It was physical, and we knew it,” coach George Gelnovatch said, “I don’t think it was out of control but the ref did a great job. A couple of their center midfielders had tactical fouls in the first half where he gave them yellow cards right away, which I thought were great.”
While this was just the first game of the season for the Cavaliers, both the team and its fans alike will be encouraged by the performance and can be optimistic about the team’s prospects going forward.
“I think we didn’t necessarily dominate them, but we played to our advantage, which is defense,” Corriveau said, “we were working hard, taking advantage of our opportunities, and I thought overall we did really well and it’s only going to get better going forward from here.”
The offense, which struggled with finishing for much of last season, was bolstered by the appearance of freshman forward Edward Opoku. A standout in high school, the Ghanian native immediately provided a jolt of pace with an elaborate give-and-go up the left wing after his 35th-minute entrance.
“We tried to make it a little bit easier for him, he started a couple games in the preseason, and that was a little tough for him,” Gelnovatch said, “I decided to not start some of the young guys and I thought Edward was more comfortable coming in off the bench.”
In the second half, Charlotte’s offensive prowess came to the forefront, as they worked to get numerous chances in and around the box, but the Cavaliers’ notoriously stingy defense — led by sophomore goalkeeper Jeff Caldwell — was able to handle the pressure, ceding just seven shots and a lone strike on goal.
“Jeff did really well, he’s a confident guy,” freshman defender Malcolm Dixon said, “I believe in his abilities, and he’s always communicating with the back line, which makes our job easy, and makes his job easier as well.”
As the Cavaliers look forward to the remainder of this homestand, which features two games in 10 days, they will do so with the knowledge that their second-ranked recruiting class can seamlessly work into the rotation as Opoku and freshman midfielders Derrick Etienne and Jean-Christophe Koffi all saw significant time.
“They’re all really good players, they add a lot of depth to the team,” Corriveau said, “They’re a little inexperienced but they’re going to gain that experience. Edward is an exciting guy. You know when he’s on the field you can give him the ball and he’s going to run at players. They’re a big addition to the team, especially on offense.”
Virginia is off until Friday, when the team takes on Tulsa — a team that pushed the Cavaliers to two overtimes in Oklahoma last season.
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