The Cavaliers (2-2, 1-0 ACC) were in control for the majority of the contest but
could not find the breakthrough goal for nearly 60 minutes.
In the 58th minute, Virginia finally earned the go-ahead goal after sophomore
Eric Bird found classmate Chris Somerville behind the Blue Devil (1-3, 0-1 ACC)
defense on the left wing. Somerville proceeded to cross the ball into the box where,
after a slight scramble, it ended up at the foot of freshman forward Marcus Salandy-
Defour. Salandy-Defour then acutely tapped a pass to senior tri-captain forward Will
Bates, who struck the ball into the goal to give Virginia the lead for good.
The Cavalier defense gave sophomore goalkeeper Spencer LaCivita a relatively
easy night by holding the Blue Devils to only two shots on goal, neither of which was
much of a threat to LaCivita. The Cavalier backline consistently thwarted Duke’s
combination plays and only saw slight signs of trouble on set plays such as throw-ins and
corners.
The Cavalier attack also looked sharp in the game as they continually pushed the
tempo and connected their passes down the pitch. Virginia totaled 11 shots in the game,
but an extremely experienced and well-organized Duke defense — anchored by two
preseason All-Americans — kept the Cavaliers off the score sheet in the first half.
The Cavaliers will return to the pitch this Tuesday when they face Mount Saint
Mary at home at 7 p.m.
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