The Virginia men's soccer team kept its season alive in strong fashion Friday night with a 2-0 shutout victory over visiting Seton Hall University in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
It took one goal in the first half and another in the second for the Cavaliers to advance into the second round of the playoffs.
Virginia improved to 10-9-2 on the year while Seton Hall dropped to 9-6-4, with the loss ending their season.
"I couldn't have drawn it up any better in terms of the game plan, getting the goal in the first half and making sure we kept them off the board," Virginia coach George Gelnovatch said. "We just wanted to wear them down and that second goal broke their spirits."
The Cavaliers, fresh off winning the ACC conference tournament last weekend, did not waste any time in the match, coming out firing on offense. Seton Hall had several good chances in the first half but could not capitalize on any of their possessions.
Thirty-three minutes into the first half, Virginia's Adam Cristman put away the deciding goal. With the ball in the air at midfield, Cristman went up for the header and flicked the ball into open space. The freshman forward began a hard dribble down the center of the field toward the right corner. A hesitation move and a missed tackle freed Cristman at the top of the 18-yard box where he booted home the game-winning goal for the Cavaliers, beating Seton Hall's keeper Boris Pardo.
"I just flicked the ball onto myself, beat one guy and then with the dribble, got past another guy who slid for it and just had a good shot at the top of the box," Cristman said.
Virginia added an insurance goal in the second half off a free kick from sophomore back Hunter Freeman. Freeman served a beautiful curling ball across the six-yard box, where freshman Ian Holder streaked through the box, dove and headed in the ball to give the Cavaliers the 2-0 lead.
"I have five freshmen starting the game and two of them scored goals and another makes a game-saving play," Gelnovatch said.
The other freshman that Gelnovatch was referring was is goalkeeper Ryan Burke. Midway through the second half, a Seton Hall defender beat the Virginia defense and came in close on Burke. The Pirate attacker's shot was low and hard but Burke stretched out enough to get a hand on it, pushing the ball wide and keeping the Cavaliers lead.
"We need to make sure we keep the ball out of our net, which we've become pretty damn good at," Gelnovatch said. "Burke has helped a lot with that, that one save he makes keeps us in the game, he doesn't make that save, it's 1-1 and it's a different game."
Virginia now advances into the second round of the NCAA tournament and will travel to Winston-Salem, N.C. to face Wake Forest, a team they beaten twice this season.
The Cavaliers look to avenge a second round NCAA loss to William & Mary last season, ending their title hopes, on Wednesday night against the Demon Deacons.
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