/
.
#2 Virginia Men's Soccer Defeats James Madison in Overtime, 2-1
Story Links
Nov. 9, 2001
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The #2 ranked University of Virginia men’s soccer team recorded a 2-1 overtime victory over the visiting James Madison Dukes in front of 3,829 spectators at Kl?ckner Stadium this evening. With the game tied at 1-1 in the first overtime period, UVa’s Ryan Gibbs (West Chester, Va./East) broke the tie by scoring the game-winning goal just 3:55 into the period to give Virginia its 16th win of the season (16-0-1). The victory also marked the first time UVa finished the regular season undefeated since going 16-0-2 in the regular season back in 1995.
After playing through a scoreless first period, James Madison tallied the first goal of the contest just 1:06 into the second period (46:09) when Michael Godwin gathered a failed clear attempt in the UVa backfield and chipped in a 10-yard shot to give the Dukes a 1-0 lead. The Cavaliers would answer JMU’s score and knotted the game at 1-1 when Kenny Arena (Fairfax, Va./Oakton) scored the equalizer just under 14 minutes later at 59:39 when he connected on a one-timer off of a free kick taken by teammate Kyle Martino (Westport, Conn./Staples). Arena’s game-tying goal forced the overtime period.
With the score tied at 1-1, Virginia’s Jonathan Cole (Annapolis, Md./McDonogh) found Gibbs streaking down the right side of the field and sent him a cross. Gibbs gathered the pass and fired a one-timer from the right flank. The ball rolled across the front of the goal and around JMU goalkeeper Josh Kovolenko before tucking in front of the far post for a score at 93:55. Gibbs’ goal, his ninth of the season, was the game-winning score and put the wraps on UVa’s undefeated regular season.
The Cavaliers’ David Comfort (Richmond, Va./Monacan) collected a game-high five saves between the pipes in the win, while the Duke’s Kovolenko posted three saves in the loss.
With the victory, Virginia improves to 16-0-1 overall, while the loss drops James Madison’s record to 10-5-1 on the year. UVa improves to 16-4-1 in the all-time series with JMU.
The Cavaliers will return to action on Friday, November 16th when UVa competes in the 2001 Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Soccer Championship in Clemson, South Carolina. Virginia, the #1 seed in the tournament, will play the winner of the #4 vs. #5 match at 5:30 p.m. at Historic Riggs Field on the campus of Clemson University. The Cavaliers were awarded a first round bye in the tournament after earning the #1 seed. The Dukes will return to action on Thursday, November 15th when JMU competes in the CAA Tournament in Virginia Beach, Va., at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex.
Scoring 1 2 OT FJames Madison (10-5-1) 0 1 0 1Virginia (16-0-1) 0 1 1 2
Goals: UVa 2 – Arena @ 59:39 (Martino), Gibbs @ 93:55 (Cole).JMU 1 – Godwin @ 46:09.Shots: UVa 14, JMU 7.Corner Kicks: UVa 8, JMU 3.Saves: UVa 5, JMU 3.Fouls: UVa 12, JMU 12.Cautions: UVa 1 – Cole. JMU none.Attendance: 3,829.
— UVA —