After riding on cruise control over a three-game win streak — the longest of the season — Virginia traveled down to Durham, N.C., and was met with a deflating bump in the road. The Cavaliers (7-6-1, 3-3 ACC) were outclassed by Duke (7-8, 1-5 ACC) in a 3-0 ACC loss.
Right out the gates, Virginia seemed to lack the hunger the Blue Devils displayed as they executed exceptionally well for a team that has been winless in the ACC. The Cavaliers were not able to dictate the control of possession and overall tempo of the match, leading to the Blue Devils taking the reins instead and extending Virginia’s winless record in the series to six games.
Virginia’s stout backline was tested throughout the first half and was worn down play by play until finally conceding the opening goal of the match in the 19th minute. First-year defender Nate Young registered his first start of his Cavalier career and was targeted right off the bat.
Duke forward Jack Ottley finessed his way down the field, coast to coast, sliding a pass to his teammate which was knocked in past Young and fourth-year goalkeeper Caleb Tunks.
Not able to register a shot on goal until the 30th minute, Virginia struggled to create chances and opportunities after a quiet night from the squad's attacking trio of fourth-year midfielders Brendan Lambe and Marco Dos Santos and fourth-year forward AJ Smith. The three hold 18 of the 29 Cavaliers goals on the season but were unable to find their groove.
The inability to maintain possession had Virginia on its heels as the Blue Devils kept the attack coming. In the 37th minute, Ottley doubled the score as he nailed a banger into the back of the net, deflating an already struggling Virginia team.
The chronic problem of conceding goals and being down entering the second half in losses against UCLA, High Point and Wake Forest came back to haunt the Cavaliers as they failed to score a goal for the first time on the season. In previous matches the squad saw these goals conceded as a wake up call to get back into form but the intensity to claw back was never found.
Virginia’s hole only got deeper in the 43rd minute, as first-year defender Isaac Mwakutuya received his second yellow of the night, putting Virginia down a man for the rest of the match.
The second half proved to be an elongated version of the first as the Cavaliers were outshot, outpaced and outplayed. A disorienting performance from a team that has been able to string in consistent wins ensued.
Two summaries of the game came in the 74th and the 90th minute of the match. The first was a free-kick golazo from Duke that essentially was the knock-out punch. The shot’s curving precisely into the top bins was a pure exemplification of the clinicality Duke displayed.
The latter was an unnecessary shove from first-year forward Chase Duke that resulted in an automatic red card. The frustration and disappointment personified through this act summed up the match for Virginia.
The Cavaliers will look to shake back to close out the season and revive their standing in ACC play as they currently sit in eighth place. With sitting on the hot seat for the ability to host an opening round match, the last two matchups will prove to determine the team's fate and postseason destiny, with major NCAA Tournament implications on the line as well.
The team will have a week to recalibrate as it will be playing without Mwakutuya and Duke against Syracuse away next Saturday.
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