No. 24 Virginia Battles Hofstra to a Draw

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 24 Virginia men’s soccer team (8-4-2, 4-1-1 ACC) hosted Hofstra (9-3-2, 4-2-1 CAA) on Tuesday night (Oct. 15) at Klöckner Stadium as the Cavaliers came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw against the Pride to close out their non-conference slate for the season.

Goals (Assists)
67’ – Hofstra: Ryan Carmichael (Unassisted)
76’ – Virginia: Phil Horton (Penalty)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The Cavaliers were the aggressors throught the game as Virginia took the lion’s share of possession routinely pinning Hofstra back in its own end. Early chances materialized for the Cavaliers to take the lead as Triton Beauvois and Moritz Kappelsberger each recorded shots in dangerous areas, but were unable to hit the mark.

After a scoreless first half, Hofstra fired a warning signaling just how dangerous they can be when given the opportunity. Hofstra’s Eliot Goldthorp from just outside the penalty area unleashed a right-footed strike destined for the roof of the net, but goalkeeper Holden Brown, with an outstretched right hand, forced it high of the crossbar to keep the game scoreless.

With just over an hour played, Virginia surrendered a free kick just outside its own 18-yard box. With a swing of his right leg, Hofstra’s Ryan Carmichael stroked his shot under the crossbar and into the top corner of goal, just outside the reach of Holden Brown to put the Pride ahead on just its second shot of the night.

Following the goal, Hofstra threw numbers behind the ball in an effort to protect the slender lead. However, Virginia amped up the pressure itself.

Less than 10 minutes after falling behind, Daniel Mangarov carried the ball across the top corner of the Hofstra penalty area and was taken down to earn a penalty for the Cavaliers. Veteran forward Phil Horton picked up the ball with confidence and made no mistake from the spot as he converted to pull Virginia back to level terms.

The Cavaliers pressed on in the final 15 minutes as they continued to try and break down a compact Hofstra defense. Asparuh Slavov created what might have been Virginia’s best chance of snatching the victory as he curled a shot just wide of the top-left corner.

FROM HEAD COACH GEORGE GELNOVATCH

“It’s frustrating not to come out of this game with a win especially when they are able to score on one of the two shots we conceded. This team was resolute in defending with lots of players behind the ball, and they are really good on restarts. We gave them a dangerous opportunity from a restart which resulted in a goal. Overall, a draw doesn’t hurt us quite as bad, but we will regroup and be ready for another challenging opponent this weekend.”

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

• The Cavaliers achieved double-digit shot totals for the 13th time in their 14 games this season
• Virginia tallied 14 shots – the most Hofstra has allowed all season
• The Cavaliers allowed just two shots to the Pride
• Triton Beauvois made the first start of his collegiate career
• Beauvois logged 41 minutes, his second-most in a single game this season
• Michael Tsicoulias made his first start of the 2022 season
• Phil Horton scored his fifth goal of the season and his second from a penalty kick
• With 12 points on the season, Horton ties Kome Ubogu for the team’s second-highest point total
• The Cavaliers remain unbeaten against the Pride but failed to earn a victory over Hofstra for the first time in the series as Virginia now leads 3-0-1
• Leo Afonso made his first substitute appearance of the season playing the entirety of the second half while recording one shot
• The result marks the second time this season that Virginia has overcome a deficit to earn either a win or a draw

Up Next:

The Cavaliers return home on Saturday (Oct. 22) for Senior Night when Virginia takes on No. 25 Wake Forest at Klöckner Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.