Dominating the first half of play, the Virginia men's soccer team extended its three-game winning streak to four, edging the American Eagles by a score of 2-1 Saturday night at Klöckner Stadium.
The Cavaliers got off to a quick start as junior forward Alecko Eskandarian scored on the opening kickoff, punching in an easy goal only nine seconds into the game.
"We got a little bit of a lucky bounce, but then Alecko just ran by people," Virginia Coach George Gelnovatch said. "But to [American's] credit they didn't fold."
The Cavaliers dictated the game, forcing the Eagles to defend their goal constantly against Virginia's stellar crossing passes and corner kicks.
"In our offense there's a huge difference from the beginning of the year until now," Virginia senior midfielder Kenny Arena said. "Guys are sharper, they're fitter, they know each other, they know how to move with each other."
Virginia also was able to mix some incredible defense into its game. At a pivotal moment in the first half, senior goalie David Comfort came out of the goal leaving an empty net for an attacking Eagle's offense. However, junior defender Matt Oliver stepped into the goal and made a spectacular save, keeping the Cavaliers ahead by one.
"It was an alert, athletic, heads-up play that only a few people could pull off," Gelnovatch said.
Even though Virginia constantly pushed the ball up the field throughout the first half, the Eagles' defense remained tough, until senior midfielder Kenny Arena headed in a goal off an ideal corner kick from junior midfielder Jacob LeBlanc.
American finally got on the scoreboard in the second half as sophomore midfielder David Marut scored his first career goal, cutting Virginia's lead to one. That would be the last goal of the game, as the teams played to a stalemate for the remaining 35 minutes.
Virginia played solidly against American, but now the team turns its sights toward No. 10 Maryland. The Cavaliers will face the Terps Friday at Klöckner Stadium for their last ACC matchup of the year and unarguably their most important.
"We're going to go after them just like we have been the last eight games," Arena said. "I think our team has had a big turn around and we're going to treat it like it's a playoff game."
Luckily, the Cavaliers seem to be gaining momentum as the regular season winds down -- Virginia has won seven of its last eight games.
"What I see in my team is that we are becoming more focused," Gelnovatch said. "We're getting used to winning again. We're starting to turn the corner and where that leads, we'll see."
As the post-season looms, the Cavaliers hope to peak at just the right moment, carrying their late season momentum into the playoffs.
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