Virginia Drops 2-0 Decision to Clemson

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Sept. 28, 2012

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia men’s soccer team lost 2-0 to Clemson Friday on a rainy evening at Klöckner Stadium. Virginia fell to 5-4-1 (1-2 ACC), while Clemson improved to 3-5-2 (2-1-1 ACC) with the road win.

Playing its seventh match in 22 days, UVa struggled through a sluggish first half, and Clemson scored first in the 27th minute when Manolo Sanchez took a pass near the goal line and fired a low cross across the box to a wide open Ara Amirkhanian, who buried the shot from short distance. It was Amirkhanian’s second goal of the season.

UVa’s offense peppered Clemson with eight shots in the first 21 minutes of the second half, but to no avail. The Cavaliers’ best chance for the equalizer came in the 64th minute when Eric Bird (So., Virginia Beach, Va.) slipped a ball through the Clemson defense to a streaking Marcus Salandy-Defour (Fr., Kensington, Md.), who found himself one-on-one with goalkeeper Chris Glodack, but the shot went just wide.

The Tigers added an insurance goal in the 74th minute when Sanchez served the ball into the center of the box, and an open Austin Savage knocked it past UVa goalkeeper Spencer LaCivita (So., Raleigh, N.C.). It marked just the second time this year that the Cavaliers have surrendered more than one goal in a match.

Virginia finished with an 11-9 shots advantage. UVa out-shot Clemson, 10-4, in the second half after recording only one shot in the first half. UVa put two shots on goal, while CU recorded three shots on goal. Clemson was called for 18 fouls, compared to 13 for UVa.

LaCivita made one save, while Glodack was credited with two saves in earning the shutout.

Virginia gets a week off before traveling to College Park, Md., next Friday to take on top-ranked Maryland. The game will be televised by FOX Soccer Channel.