Cats claw back, fall 3-2 in 2OT to UVA

Patrick Zeng
@Roundtripper891

UVA
There are definitely easier ways to start a season. The University of Virginia has appeared in the collegiate postseason tournament for 34 consecutive years(!!) and has produced talents such as Kyle Martino, Claudio Reyna as well as USMNT coach Bruce Arena. Yet coach Tom Carlin's bunch rode the momentum of last season's maiden trip into the NCAA soccer tournament all the way to Charlottesville for their first match-up of the new season.

The Wildcats even struck first against UVA less than ten minutes in. A curling effort from southern California native Lucas Hodges beat UVA's Jeff Caldwell at his far post in the seventh minute to get the ball rolling. Virginia instantly replied just two minutes later through forward Edward Opoku. After some great saves by Nova's Will Steiner and UVA's Caldwell, the sides were deadlocked at one headed into the half.

Virginia went ahead in the fifty third minute through Faris Abdi only for Villanova to answer back in the sixty ninth minute. Sophomore midfielder Luca Mellor scored his first goal for the Wildcats after UVA failed to clear a Nova corner. Mellor did an outstanding job at being the first to react to the loose ball and rifled the shot into the back of the net.

UVA
Once ninety minutes passed, the two sides were still level at two. After an uneventful first overtime in which only one shot was taken, UVA was finally able to find their breakthrough. In the one hundred and fifth minute the Cavs drew a penalty and Barcelona native Sergi Nus tucked it home for the third and fatal goal conceded by the Cats.

All in all it was a good fight from Nova in a brutally difficult fixture to open up their season. The Cats return to campus for their home opener at the Higgins Soccer Complex on Tuesday 8/29 against Temple as they look for their first win of the season.

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