Skidding past the defense, Virginia senior forward Triton Beavious set himself up for an 89th minute goal. But the opportunity escaped, the shot going wide right, a good summary of No. 11 Virginia’s road decimation Thursday at George Mason’s hands.
After starting the season with back-to-back clean sheets for the first time since 2019, the Cavaliers (2-1-0, 0-0-0 ACC) looked to add to the win column, but the reigning A10 regular-season champion Patriots (1-1-0, 0-0-0 A10) had other things in mind. Flooding out the gates with full force, George Mason scored early, in the 18th minute, ending Virginia’s streak and never looking back. Virginia's lack of response and ability to capitalize on chances led to an eventual 4-1 thrashing at George Mason Stadium in Fairfax, Va.
Although the scoreboard was lopsided, it was not the only component of the match that was high in number. The referee handed out cards like candy bars as the Cavaliers and Patriots tallied 16 in total — six and 10, respectively. It was a scrappy affair of high-intensity play that led to two eventual ejections.
Two of these cards proved costly for Virginia. The first, an early yellow on George Mason junior midfielder James Eliuda, banged up junior midfielder Brendan Lambe and eventually forced him to miss the rest of the match. After his brilliance the match before, the absence of his playmaking and graceful presence disrupted Virginia’s rhythm.
The second card, a red on freshmen defender Zachary Ehrenpreis after he denied a goal-scoring opportunity from behind, not only left Virginia with 10 men the rest of the match but immediately resulted in a goal after graduate goalkeeper Casper Mols spilled a free kick, setting up a tap-in.
Entering the second half with their backs against the wall, the Cavaliers were in dire need of a spark. After flirting with a plethora of early chances, freshman sensation Nick Simmonds was able to answer the call. There was a freshman-to-freshman connection between him and forward Sami Oulouheu as he lofted a cross from a dismantled corner kick, for a Simmonds 56th minute header into the back of the net, helping Virginia inch closer.
Simmonds and Oulouheu each notched their first goal and assist on the play, a beacon of light against a very dim overall team performance. More of their production and activity will be needed throughout the season, especially on slow nights like this.
Three minutes after the Cavaliers’ spirits had been lifted, the Patriots eradicated any hopes of a comeback with sophomore forward Martim Sereno’s second goal of the match.
Tempers continued to flare throughout the second half as both teams took the in-state rivalry to heart. Virginia had previously won eight straight against George Mason, and the Patriots showed that they had played with a chip on their shoulder to turn history in their favor, adding one more to the tally in the 75th minute, officially finalizing their highest-ranked win in 14 years.
Firing on all cylinders, George Mason took 18 shots on the night, the most against the Cavaliers since Louisville scored six goals in 2016. However, greener pastures are ahead for the Cavaliers as senior defender Nick Dang inches closer to a return. His composure and experience will be vital for a team that needed every bit of it against the Patriots. It is the same story with senior midfielder Reese Miller, whose return also seems slated for the next couple weeks.
Next, Virginia will face a familiar foe, American, at 7 p.m. Monday. Virginia routed the Eagles 4-2 last season.
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