The Virginia men’s soccer team had its four match unbeaten streak snapped Friday night in a closely contested 1-0 loss to No. 8 North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
The Cavaliers (4-3-1, 1-1 ACC) started the game slowly as sophomore goalkeeper Spencer LaCivita was forced to make two early saves while the Cavalier offense failed to get off a shot off until the 25th minute. The young team appeared to regain its composure after senior tri-captain Will Bates took the team’s first shot, helping to turn the momentum in Virginia’s favor.
The Tar Heels (5-1-1, 2-0-1) got on the board in the 47th minute when freshman Danny Garcia found Andy Craven free in the box, and the junior forward beat LaCivita from close distance.
The Cavaliers responded well to the second-half deficit by playing an aggressive, attacking style of play for the remainder of the game, coming painfully close to equalizing on several occasions.
In the second half of the highly physical game — the two teams combined for a game total of 41 fouls and five yellow cards — Virginia pressed its offense forward after the goal and consistently had the Tar Heel defense on its heels. But the Cavaliers were unable to pull level despite racking up a 6-2 shot advantage in the second period and holding the Tar Heels without a shot for the final 25 minutes.
LaCivita finished with three saves — all in the first half — and North Carolina senior goalkeeper Scott Goodwin tallied six saves to earn the shutout. The clean sheet was a milestone achievement for Goodwin, giving him the North Carolina school record with 29 career shutouts.
The Cavaliers will be on the road again Tuesday when they travel to Richmond to face Virginia Commonwealth.
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