Though the faces were different, the result was the same last night at Klockner Stadium as the No. 2 Virginia men's soccer team demolished an out-classed Temple team, 4-0.
Demonstrating their remarkable depth by starting seven reserve players, the Cavaliers (8-0-1) took the lead in the fourth minute on a header by Jonathan Cole. That would be all the firepower required, as the Virginia defense recorded its fifth consecutive shutout, the Cavaliers' longest such streak since 1988.
"Our main priority is to win, to play well and get better," Virginia coach George Gelnovatch said. "If you're playing the way we're trying to play this year and winning games, I think the byproduct has been some good shutouts."
The Cavaliers used their speed and ability on the ball to maintain suffocating pressure on the Owls throughout the first half. Virginia tallied three goals on 14 shots in the half, but Temple struggled even to string two passes together and did not test Cavalier goalkeeper Kyle Singer.
Temple doubled the deficit in the 29th minute with an own goal. Virginia midfielder Kyle Martino, roaming wide along the left touchline, received a deflected ball behind the defense and sent in a low cross. The ball was met in front of the goal by Owl defender Pete Perry, who misdirected the ball over the line for a Cavalier goal.
The 39th minute saw Martino at work again - this time on the right side. Collecting a deflection, Martino worked toward the corner before delivering another low cross. Cavalier midfielder Sean Feeney slid forward to meet the ball and poked it past stranded Temple goalkeeper Patrick Hannigan. The goal was the first for Feeney, a junior, whose family was in the stands.
"It was a dream come true," Feeney said. "I've grown up and I've always wanted to play for Virginia soccer. To score a goal and be able to share it with my parents is one of the highest points of my life."
The final high point of the night for the Cavaliers came in the 85th minute. A pass by Eric Solomon set Sheldon Barnes free and allowed him to rocket in a cross that freshman forward Chris Megaloudis nodded past a sprawled-out Hannigan for the first goal of his own young career.
Despite the goal-scoring heroics, the star at the end of the evening was Virginia's incomparable depth as a team. Gelnovatch said that the ability to use many different players was pleasing.
"It's not that I don't have respect for Temple," Gelnovatch said. "I just have a lot of confidence in our reserve players. I think they stepped up and showed that tonight."
"I think a lot of people outside the team might see a difference between a starting team and a reserve team," Cole agreed. "To me and the rest of the guys and the coaching staff, there is really no difference in the level of play"
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