Home Men’s Soccer: Jeremy Verley golden goal off free kick lifts Virginia to 1-0 win over Notre Dame
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Men’s Soccer: Jeremy Verley golden goal off free kick lifts Virginia to 1-0 win over Notre Dame

Chris Graham
virginia soccer
UVA sophomore Jeremy Verley celebrates after his game-winning golden goal. Photo courtesy Virginia Athletics.

UVA sophomore Jeremy Verley scored on a free kick in the 95th minute to lift the Cavaliers to a 1-0 win over Notre Dame at Klöckner Stadium on Sunday.

Following a yellow card by Notre Dame’s Michael Pellegrino, Virginia (5-4-1, 1-0 ACC) was awarded a free kick near midfield.

Verley’s service landed in the box, took a high hop and found the back left corner of the goal.

Verley is the 10th different Cavalier to score this season and has three points in the last two games.

The Cavalier defense was stifling and did not allow a single shot on goal in the match. All four of the shots from Notre Dame (6-5, 0-1 ACC) were off target, two in each half.

“For both teams that game was really important and a really important three points (for us),” UVA coach George Gelnovatch said. “It was well deserved and I do think we deserved to win the game. I don’t know the last time that we played a Notre Dame team that didn’t register a shot on goal so there’s a lot to be said for not just the guys in the back but the whole team. It was a great team performance, and a lot of good individual performances by some young guys.”

The overtime match is the fifth in 10 games in the 2020-21 season after the Cavaliers started the fall with four consecutive extra time matches for the first time in program history.

Virginia improved to 2-2-1 overtime games this season.

Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham, the king of "fringe media," a zero-time Virginia Sportswriter of the Year, and a member of zero Halls of Fame, is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, or subscribe to his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].