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No. 19 Charlotte Rallies Late for 2-1 OT Win over No. 10 Virginia
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – No. 19 Charlotte scored on a penalty kick with 25 seconds remaining in regulation, then struck again in the first minute of overtime to pull out a stunning 2-1 win over the No. 19 Virginia men’s soccer team Friday evening at Klöckner Stadium.
The physical contest featured 49 fouls and 11 cards, including three red cards in the final 20 minutes of regulation.
Will Bates gave Virginia (4-3-0) a 1-0 lead in the 71st minute on a penalty kick for his team-leading fifth goal of the year, but Charlotte (5-1-0) countered with a penalty kick of its own from Tyler Gibson in the final minute to send the game to overtime, where Isaac Caughran headed home a rebound to give the 49ers the win.
Charlotte out-shot Virginia, 18-12, and put nine shots on goal compared to seven for Virginia. The 49ers also held a 4-3 edge in corner kicks. UVa goalkeeper Spencer LaCivita came up big on several occasions and finished with seven saves. Charlotte goalkeeper Klay Davis saved six shots.
Virginia scored in the 71st minute following a wild scene in the box. Brian Span’s first shot was saved by Davis, but following the deflection Eric Bird shot the ball toward the open net, and Charlotte’s Isaac Cowles committed a handball on the line. Cowles was awarded a red card and sent off, and Bates connected on the penalty kick to give UVa a 1-0 advantage.
UVa was up a man for the next 10 minutes before being assessed a red card in the 81st minute to even up the sides. A Cavalier red card in the box in the 90th minute gave the 49ers a penalty kick, which Gibson buried to knot the score. Up a man, Charlotte continued to attack and put two shots on goal in the final seconds of regulation following a free kick, both of which LaCivita was able to stop.
Charlotte wasted little time in overtime, scoring just 42 seconds into the extra stanza. Gibson launched a shot off the crossbar, and Caughran headed the rebound from five yards out just over the outstretched arm of LaCivita for the game-winning goal.
Virginia continues its four-match homestand at 7 p.m. Tuesday when it faces Radford. UVa returns to ACC play Friday, Sept. 23 against No. 5 North Carolina.