The second-ranked UVA men’s soccer team dropped its first home match of the season, 2-1, to Davidson Wednesday evening in rainy conditions at Klöckner Stadium. Virginia (4-2-1) scored in the first half, but Davidson (4-0-2), ranked 20th nationally by Soccer America, recorded a pair of goals just over seven minutes apart early in the second half and then held off the Cavaliers’ late charge.
Virginia out-shot Davidson, 15-10, including 9-4 in the second half. UVa put seven shots on goal to five for the Wildcats. Davidson goalkeeper Matt Pacifici saved six shots, while UVa goalkeeper Jeff Caldwell (Fr., Todd, N.C.) made a pair of saves.
After an intense, double-overtime match in the Sunday afternoon heat against Notre Dame, Virginia altered its starting lineup Wednesday, using just two of the same starters from the match against the Fighting Irish.
UVa weathered an early storm from Davidson, which came out firing, including a three-shot sequence over a 30-second span in the opening minutes in which Caldwell made a pair of saves and a UVa defender was forced to save a dangerous shot off the line. In the eighth minute, Davidson’s John Pace hit the upper corner of the frame with a shot from just outside the box.
Virginia settled in for the rest of the half, and Nicko Corriveau (So., Potomac, Md.) scored in the 20th minute for the Cavaliers. After Luc Fatton (R-Fr., Charlottesville, Va.) sent a short pass forward into the top of the box, Corriveau turned and fired a shot that was slightly deflected and sailed into the upper corner of the goal for his first score of the season and second career goal.
UVa nearly doubled its lead in the 35th minute when Bryan Lima (R-Sr., Boca Raton, Fla.) moved deep into the box and flicked a shot high over a charging Pacifici, but a Davidson defender headed the shot away just in front of the crossbar.
Davidson again came out quickly in the second half. Shortly after UVa’s Kyle McCord (Sr., Chester Springs, Pa.) was denied on a point-blank shot by a diving Pacifici, Davidson came down the field, with Maxi Pragnell taking the ball near the goal line and sending a pass back out and just inside the top of the box, where Alan Reiter blasted a low shot into the left corner to tie the game in the 51st minute.
The Wildcats scored just over seven minutes later off a set piece for the eventual game-winning tally. After a Pace corner kick, the ball came loose in the box and Max Riehemann knocked it home for his first goal of the season.
Virginia subbed liberally over the final 30-plus minutes and had several quality scoring chances, but could not net the equalizer.
Virginia travels to No. 18 Syracuse Saturday for a 7 p.m. ACC match with the Orange before returning home next Tuesday (Sept. 30) for a 7 p.m. game against James Madison.
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Chris Graham
