The UVA men’s soccer team rallied from a halftime deficit to capture a 2-1 win at No. 4 North Carolina Friday at Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill. In stretching its unbeaten streak to four games, UVA (6-2-3, 1-2-2 ACC) snapped a nine-match unbeaten streak against the Tar Heels (8-2-1, 3-1-1). The Cavaliers scored their first win over UNC since 2008, also a triumph in Chapel Hill.
Pablo Aguilar (Jr., Guatemala City, Guatemala) scored the equalizer, while Wesley Wade (So., South Orange, N.J.) buried the eventual game-winning goal for Virginia. The Tar Heels represented the fifth straight top-20 team the Cavaliers have faced in ACC play this season.
UNC grabbed the lead in the 37th minute when Walker Hume headed home a cross from David October. It ended Virginia’s streak of 354 consecutive minutes without allowing a goal, dating to the second half of the Sept. 24 game against Louisville.
Virginia started its comeback in the second half on a flurry in front of the goal. Marcus Salandy-Defour (R-Sr., Kensington, Md.) tracked down a ball near the goal line, and his pass back toward the goal was deflected into the air by a UNC defender with Aguilar connecting on a header past Pyle for his third goal of the year. The goal snapped a UNC opponent scoreless streak of 412 minutes, 41 seconds since Sept. 20.
UVA forged ahead in the 78th minute on a counter when Nicko Corriveau (Sr., Potomac, Md.) sent a beautiful ball downfield and past the UNC defense to spring Wade into a one-on-one situation, who sent his first touch from 23 yards past the outstretched Pyle and inside the far post for his fourth goal of the year.
UVA now has outscored its foes 13-4 in the second half of matches this year.
UVA goalkeeper Jeff Caldwell (Jr., Todd, N.C.) matched a career high with seven saves, including five in the second half. UNC keeper James Pyle stopped one shot on goal. UNC out-shot UVA, 22-5, and held a 13-3 edge in corner kicks.
Virginia returns home at 7 p.m. Tuesday (Oct. 11) to face Radford in the opener of a three-match homestand. The Cavaliers welcome No. 2 Notre Dame to Klöckner Stadium next Friday (Oct. 14).
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Chris Graham
