Third-Ranked Virginia Defeats Longwood, 2-0

CHARLOTTESVILLE – No. 3 Virginia earned its third-consecutive shutout victory with a 2-0 win over Longwood on Tuesday night. Sophomore Will Bates (Chester, Va.) and freshman Brian Span (Somers, N.Y.) scored goals for the Cavaliers.

Virginia improved to 6-1-1 with the win. Longwood’s record went to 0-8-1.

“When you win you’re happy and tonight we played pretty well,” UVa head coach George Gelnovatch said. “We had good energy and good sharpness.”

The Cavalier offense peppered Longwood with shots in the first half, and Bates finished a cross from Brian Ownby (Glen Allen, Va.) in the 15th minute to put Virginia up, 1-0.

It was Bates’ team-high fourth goal of the season and Ownby’s second assist.

In the second half, Span took on two defenders in the 60th minute near the top of the penalty area. After making space for himself, he fired a shot that found the lower-right corner of the goal. It was Span’s third goal of the year and gave Virginia a 2-0 lead.

That score held up for the rest of the match, as UVa goalkeeper Diego Restrepo (West Palm Beach, Fla.) recorded his fifth shutout of the year (third-consecutive). Restrepo had two saves to keep the Lancers off the scoreboard.

Virginia out-shot Longwood, 20-3, and held a 7-0 advantage in corner kicks.

Bates led all players with nine shots, while Ownby added four and Span had three for the Cavaliers.

Devin Pierce and Patrick Bain registered shots for the Lancers. Longwood goalkeeper Ben Eanes finished with eight saves.

The Cavaliers’ next match is Friday at 7 p.m., at Klöckner Stadium vs. No. 2 North Carolina