Batrouni Shines in 2-1 Win Over No. 19 Virginia Tech

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — On a night that featured a signature 11-save performance from Cavalier goalkeeper Joey Batrouni, the Virginia men’s soccer team (3-4-3, 1-2-2 ACC) toppled No. 19 Virginia Tech (6-3-1, 1-3-0 ACC) by a score of 2-1 on Friday night (Oct. 4) at Klöckner Stadium.

Goals (Assist)
42’ Virginia — Danny Mangarov (FK)
55’ Virginia — Albin Gashi
80’ Virginia Tech — Kireh (Perez)

How it Happened:

• After fending off an early attacking spell from the Hokies, Virginia quickly looked dangerous going the other way winning a corner kick before Luc Mikula got on the end of a dangerous ball inside the box but headed his chance above the bar.
• With 20 minutes gone in the first half, Albin Gashi cut inside onto his right foot and curled an attempt that was destined for goal but was pushed wide of the post by the goalkeeper.
• Moments later, Joey Batrouni made the one of the most crucial of his 11-save performance as Tech’s Oliver Roche was through on goal but denied with a sliding effort from Batrouni to keep Virginia from chasing the game.

• In the closing stages of the half, Virginia broke through on a Danny Mangarov free kick from 35 yards out. With a left-footed strike, Mangarov put a sinking attempt on frame that dipped past the goalkeeper and in to give the Cavaliers a 1-0 advantage at the break.

• With 54 minutes down, the Cavaliers would double their lead as Paul Wiese whipped in a corner from the left side. After taking a deflection, the ball bounced into the path of Gashi who caught it cleanly and buried his chance in the low corner for 2-0.

• The Hokies would pull a goal back win the 80^th minute when Yonis Kireh got on the end of a looping free kick and placed a low header from point-blank range just under the outstretched arm of Batrouni.
• Batrouni’s impressive night would prove crucial down the stretch as the Cavalier goalkeeper made a pair of saves in the closing moments to preserve the 2-1 victory.

With the Win:

• Virginia snaps a six-game winless streak improving to 3-4-3
• The Cavaliers improve to 44-6-6 all-time against the Hokies and are winners of three straight in the series
• The victory marks the first time UVA has defeated a ranked Virginia Tech team while outside the top-25 themselves improving to 1-1-1 in such situations
• The Cavaliers notch their first ACC victory of the season improving to 1-2-2 in conference play

Additional Notes:

• Albin Gashi scored his third career goal, and first since a match against NC State (9/16/23)
• Danny Mangarov scored his second goal of the season and first since the season opener (vs Rider, 8/22/24)
• Mangarov has scored off a free kick in consecutive meetings with Virginia Tech (10/20/23)
• Virginia has held its opponents to a goal or less in nine of its 10 games this season
• Joey Batrouni made 11 saves, his season high for 2024 and just two shy of his career high (11/5/23)
• The Cavaliers are a perfect 3-0 when scoring two or more goals in a game this season
• Three Cavaliers made their first career starts including AJ Smith, Luc Mikula and Grant Howard

From Head Coach George Gelnovatch
“We needed some wind in our sails. We had been on the wrong end of a lot of these losses and ties. I told our guys before the game that these little details, how you close people down, how you defend in the box, scoring first and getting the second goal. That’s how you win games. Hopefully it’s a bit of a restart for us.” 

The Smithfield Commonwealth Clash
The Smithfield Commonwealth Clash, originally called the Commonwealth Challenge (2005-2007), has been a part of the UVA-Virginia Tech rivalry since 2014. It is an all-sports, points-based program with the Commonwealth Clash trophy presented to the winning school each year for its dominance in head-to-head competitions. With tonight’s win, the Cavaliers take a 1-0 advantage in the competition for the 2024-25 season.

Up Next:
The Cavaliers will be back in action on Tuesday (Oct. 8) when they host James Madison. Kickoff at Klöckner Stadium is set for 7 p.m. on ACCNX.