Late Xavier Goal Stuns Virginia Men’s Soccer in Season Opener

In each class besides one, Virginia beat Xavier on Thursday night time. 

The Cavaliers held a dominant edge in photographs, photographs on objective, corners, and fouls. Whereas UVA tried 19 photographs, Xavier tried solely three, the final two of which doomed the Wahoos of their season opener. 

With lower than 5 minutes to play, a header from Xavier’s Kendall Allen off a cross was blocked from crossing the objective line because of an unimaginable diving effort by UVA goalkeeper Holden Brown. Sadly for Brown for the Cavaliers, the ball went proper to the foot of Xavier’s Brandon Osterholt, who hammered it into the again of the online to place the Musketeers in entrance.

After totally outplaying the Musketeers for your entire sport, the late objective spoiled the season opener for Virginia in a 1-0 loss to Xavier on Thursday night time at Klockner Stadium. 

Whereas Osterholt can be rightfully praised as scoring the game-winner, the MVP of the sport was actually Xavier goalkeeper Cole Jensen, who completed the match with eight saves, 5 of which got here within the second half as Virginia turned up the stress. 

UVA dominated possession for basically your entire match as photographs had been 8-0 in favor of the Cavaliers within the first half and 19-3 for the match. Virginia blitzed Jensen and the Xavier protection from begin to end, however the Hoos simply could not break by means of and discover the again of the online. Leo Afonso paced the Cavaliers with 4 photographs, whereas Kome Ubogu and David Okorie each positioned two photographs on objective, however all had been stopped by Cole Jensen. 

For the primary 82 minutes of the match, Xavier didn’t try even a single shot. Because it seems, the Musketeers had been biding their time, ready for the Cavaliers to provide them a chance to pounce.

That likelihood got here with slightly below 5 minutes remaining. Xavier acquired its first nook alternative of the match from the left nook, which resulted in one other nook from the other facet. Kendall Allen discovered the cross and acquired a stable head on the ball direct it in direction of the objective. Going through his first shot on objective of the match, Holden Brown dove and made the save, however the ball bounced proper to Brandon Osterholt, who cleanly swept it into the objective to attract first blood with just some minutes left within the match. 

Out of the blue trailing on their house area, the Cavaliers switched into desperation mode to attempt to discover a fast equalizer to salvage the draw. UVA had a few first rate possibilities within the remaining moments, together with a Leo Afonso shot as time expired that was deflected away on its approach in and Virginia suffered a painful defeat within the season opener. 

UVA will look to bounce again and decide up the primary win of the season in opposition to Rider on Monday at 7pm at Klockner Stadium. 

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