After a tumultuous start to the season, including losses in three of its first four games, No. 14 Virginia (7-3-4, 3-2-4 ACC) has rebounded and is riding a 10-game unbeaten streak after a 2-0 upset against No. 8 Notre Dame Saturday. The win boosted not only the Cavaliers’ rankings, but also their confidence moving forward.
“Oh, [the win] was huge,” freshman forward Riggs Lennon said. “I mean, we came out there — away, they’re undefeated, [the then-]No. 2 team in the nation — and we came out and at the end of the first half [sophomore forward] Darius [Madison] had a good goal, and from then on, we just packed it in. We got the win, so it was great.”
Next up for the Cavaliers is North Carolina-Greensboro (8-6-2, 3-1-1 Southern Conference) Tuesday at Klöckner Stadium, in what will be Virginia’s first home match since a 3-3 double overtime tie against No. 12 Maryland on Oct. 11.
Though the Spartans might not have the reputation of a national soccer powerhouse, they are ranked second in the Southern Conference, and have put together several strong performances this season, including a 1-0 victory against No. 25 Charlotte and a 0-0 double overtime tie against No. 13 Furman.
“The coaches have talked about [the Spartans],” Lennon said. “They said they’re a good team [and] we can’t overlook them and look for Friday [against North Carolina]; we’ve got to focus on every game, so tomorrow, we’ve got to come out hard and come out early and get a goal.”
The Cavaliers have played consistently throughout their 10-game unbeaten streak, outscoring their opponents 24-8. Junior midfielder Eric Bird currently leads Virginia with six goals and Madison is second on the team with five goals on the season.
Virginia’s defense has been equally impressive. Six of their opponents’ eight goals during the unbeaten streak have come in just two games — North Carolina State and Maryland. In the same stretch, sophomore goalkeeper Jeff Gal has recorded six shutouts.
Coach George Gelnovatch is aware of Virginia’s steady momentum, and hopes to keep it going as the regular season approaches its conclusion.
“I think we’re in a good place,” Gelnovatch said. “Everybody’s working hard. I think it was very good for Darius to get two goals. That’s the first time he’s scored two goals in a game, and in a big game. And we’re creating chances. I think we just keep staying the course … business as usual.”
Virginia has three games remaining in its regular season schedule — against UNC-Greensboro Tuesday, and conference foes North Carolina and Boston College in November. The team hopes to carry momentum from wins in those games into the ACC tournament and presumably the NCAA tournament.
But even as it looks to the future, Virginia is keeping a steady focus on UNC-Greensboro. The Cavaliers will seek to lock down sophomore forward Dustin Gamradt, who leads the Spartans with five goals on the season, including two Saturday against Georgia Southern, and junior midfielder David Reittinger, who is the Spartans’ most aggressive scoring threat with 26 shots on the season.
“They’re not a ranked opponent, but … in the eyes of the NCAA, they’re probably in the top 50, so I expect a very competitive game for a Tuesday night game that we need to make sure we’re ready for,” Gelnovatch said.
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