Cavaliers Fall in Friendly to Richmond Kickers
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March 24, 2014
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RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia men’s soccer team dropped a 3-0 decision to the Richmond Kickers in a friendly on Saturday (March 22) at City Stadium in Richmond, Va. The Kickers scored three times in the second half, including twice in the final 10 minutes, to break open a close game.
“This was our second USL pro team in three weeks and the biggest differences from the first (against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds) were the DC United loanees and the level of intensity,” Virginia head coach George Gelnovatch said. “The combination of the two made this a very competitive game and from that end it was very good in preparation for our UNC game. It will get us ready and energized for what I consider to be a College Cup-worthy team in North Carolina.”
The UVa-Kickers match was hotly contested and extremely physical throughout. It was the Kickers’ final friendly before their season opener on March 29. The Kickers also featured four loanees from DC United.
Virginia again used the exhibition as an opportunity to get a lot of players some game action. Twenty UVa players saw playing time, including three goalkeepers.
After a scoreless first half which featured nearly 50-50 possession and few quality scoring chances, the Kickers scored all three of their goals in the second half. The final two scores came in the last 10 minutes, with both coming off restarts.
Virginia continues its spring exhibition schedule this Saturday (March 29) when it travels to Greensboro, N.C., for a friendly with North Carolina. Game time is 5 p.m. at Bryan Park.
2014 Virginia Men’s Soccer Spring Schedule
Sat., March 8 – at Pittsburgh Riverhounds (Virginia 2-0)
Sat., March 22 – at Richmond Kickers (Kickers 3-0)
Sat., March 29 – vs. North Carolina (@ Bryan Park, Greensboro), 5 p.m.
Sat., April 5 – at New York Cosmos (@ Mitchell Field), 11 a.m.
Sat., April 12 – VCU, 10 a.m.
Thu., April 17 – Blue vs Orange Scrimmage, 7 p.m.