No. 5 Virginia men’s soccer hosted N.C. State Friday night at Klockner Stadium, defeating the Wolfpack (4-2-1, 1-1-0 ACC) 2-0 for a crucial conference win. The Cavaliers (6-0-0, 2-0-0 ACC) remained undefeated in a strong defensive effort.
The first half was dominated by a possession battle, with both teams struggling to generate organized attacks. After 40 minutes, Virginia held the lone shot on goal — a deflected shot outside the 18-yard box by junior midfielder Joe Bell that was comfortably collected by Wolfpack senior goalkeeper Vincent Durand.
However, in the 42nd minute, sophomore forward Daryl Dike was able to convert a pass from senior midfielder Robin Afamefuna to put the Cavaliers up 1-0. This was the second goal of the season for the Oklahoma native, who has started all six games for Virginia this season.
Defensively, the Cavaliers were able to shut down an N.C. State attack that includes junior midfielder David Loera, who already has five points on the season. Junior defender Henry Kessler was particularly critical to the Cavaliers’ defensive success, stealing the ball from Loera multiple times throughout the match. The Virginia defense held N.C. State to one shot on goal, helping junior goalkeeper Colin Shutler secure his 13th career shutout.
“I think you can attribute a lot of it [the shutout] to a team performance defensively,” Coach George Gelnovatch said.
Additionally, Bell and sophomore forward Daniel Steedman were excellent in the middle of the field for the Cavaliers, quelling N.C. State attacks before they could start. The pair also provided pinpoint passes to ignite the Virginia attack.
The Cavaliers had their fair share of chances in the second half, with shots by freshman defender Andreas Ueland and junior forward Nathaniel Crofts inside the 18-yard box sailing over the bar in the 71st and 75th minutes, respectively.
However, in the 90th minute, sophomore forward Cabrel Happi Kamseu was able to draw a penalty while streaking into the 18-yard box during the waning seconds of the match, granting Virginia a penalty kick. Bell calmly took the penalty, sliding the ball into the left side-netting for his first goal of the season.
Despite the two goals for the Cavaliers, the two teams only combined for six shots on goal, capping off a match that was defined by continual possession battles in midfield and limited opportunities for breakout play.
Virginia will finish their three-match homestand Monday at 7 p.m. against Western Michigan. The match will be broadcasted live on ACC Network.
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