The AU men’s soccer team was shutout for the sixth time this season in a 3-0 loss on the road to the tenth ranked University of Virginia Cavaliers Tuesday night.
It is the second straight loss for the Eagles, who lost to Holy Cross on Saturday. UVA’s three goals were all scored in a 25-minute span in the middle part of the game. Jonathan Villanueva scored the first goal in the 41st minute. Will Bates and Tony Tchani scored the other two goals in the 54th minute and 65th minute, respectively. The win brings the Cavaliers’ record to 11-3-2 on the season.
AU was outshot 18-8 in the match, including 13-3 in shots on goal. Two of the Eagles’ three shots on goal came from Junior Nick Kapus. The loss drops the Eagles’ record to 9-5-2.
“The difference between the teams tonight was that Virginia thought they would win and we weren’t sure,” Eagles head coach Todd West told AU Athletics. “When we step on the field to prove that we are the better team, we can play with anyone in the country. Now we will focus on the Patriot League.”
Eagles’ goalie Matt Makowski had eight saves on the night and played all 90 minutes in goal. It was a strong performance, despite the offenses’ ability to give him any help.
The next game for the Eagles will come at home against Colgate University on Saturday, Nov. 8. The game is the final regular season match for both teams before the Patriot League Tournament. Colgate is 7-8-1 and is coming off a 2-0 victory against Navy on Friday.
It is a critical game for AU, since they must win if they want to clinch the regular season championship. The Bucknell University Bison is the only school in front of the Eagles. They are currently 5-1-0 in the Patriot League standings with 15 points, while AU has 13 points. Bucknell plays third-ranked Lehigh University on Friday.
You can reach this writer at sports@theeagleonline.com.
