A pair of second half goals, including the first career tally by Raheem Taylor-Parkes (Tampa, Fla.), were the difference for No. 12 Virginia (4-0-1) in a 2-0 victory over Marquette (0-4-1).
Taylor-Parkes was credited with the unassisted game-winner in the 48th minute. The sophomore took advantage of a Golden Eagle turnover on the far side of the box and buried a shot into the right corner of the net. Junior Sergi Nus (Barcelona, Spain) gave the Cavaliers a two-goal advantage when he converted a penalty kick in the 86th minute. He now moves into a tie for the team lead with three scores on the season.
“I give our guys a lot of credit, Marquette was a team we really needed to work to wear down,” said head coach George Gelnovatch. “These midweek games before ACC games, especially for us having to go on the road this week, can be tricky. I think ultimately our guys did a great job of handling a win tonight.”
With a 7-4 shot advantage over the first 45 minutes of play, Virginia created numerous scoring chances and controlled much of the possession in the first half. If not for a few diving efforts from Marquette goalkeeper Luis Barraza, the Cavaliers may have gone into the locker room with a lead.
Barraza finished the night with six saves, the most by any opposing goalkeeper through the first five games. He faced a total of 15 Virginia shots, with eight of them going on net.
Virginia netminder Jeff Caldwell (Todd, N.C.) faced seven Marquette shots and was credited with two saves. The shutout was his second of the season and 19th of his career. He has appeared in every minute of the last 43 games for the Cavaliers.
With the victory, the Cavaliers extended their unbeaten streak at home to 21 games and have not dropped a contest at home since the 2015 season.
Up Next: The first road game of the fall for the Cavaliers will be on Friday (Sept. 15) at Virginia Tech. The game will air live on ACC Network Extra. Virginia will not return home until Sept. 22 when it hosts North Carolina.
Additional Notes
- Virginia improves to 3-0 all-time against Marquette. The two teams met in the third round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament, a 3-1 Cavalier victory.
- Including tonight’s victory, Virginia has won both games when tied at the half. The Cavaliers defeated Villanova, 3-2 on Aug. 25 after the contest was tied 1-1.
- Coming into the contest, Virginia ranked seventh in the country with 2.75 goals per game.
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